Cholesterol is one of the fatty substances needed by the body. However, if the amount is too much in the blood, you can experience health problems or high cholesterol. This condition can lead to various other diseases that are even more severe if not treated immediately. Then, what diseases may you experience due to high cholesterol? Check out the various diseases that can be a complication of cholesterol below.

Various diseases may occur due to high cholesterol

The amount of cholesterol that is too high in the blood is not good for health. Here are other health problems that may arise from too high cholesterol, for example:

Chest pain (angina)

One of the conditions that you may experience due to high cholesterol is a pain in the chest or commonly called angina. Pain in the chest generally occurs because the heart muscle does not get the oxygen-rich blood it needs.

This may occur due to cholesterol levels that are too high in the blood to accumulate in the arteries to form plaque. These plaques block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. That’s why blood can’t reach the heart and causes chest pain.

Often, when you feel pain in your chest due to plaque buildup in your arteries, you may also experience various symptoms of another coronary heart disease.

Coronary heart disease

According to the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, one of the complications that may occur due to high cholesterol is coronary heart disease. One of the symptoms of this disease is chest pain, another condition that is also a complication of cholesterol.

This condition occurs due to the buildup of plaque formed from excess cholesterol levels in the blood. These plaques build up in the coronary arteries, thereby blocking the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

When the heart muscle does not get the blood supply it needs, the heart cannot function normally. Unfortunately, often this condition does not cause any symptoms until you feel symptoms that are quite severe such as chest pain, heart attack, or sudden cardiac arrest.

Usually, when you experience this condition, your doctor will advise you to change your lifestyle to a healthier one. For example, doing exercise is good for the heart, practicing a healthy diet for the heart, and various ways to prevent various other heart diseases.

Carotid artery disease

Each individual has two carotid arteries located at the back of the neck. These two arteries are the way of blood to the brain. Unfortunately, cholesterol levels that are too high can be the cause of carotid artery disease.

Yes, this condition is one of several diseases that can be a complication of cholesterol. The reason, buildup of plaque in the carotid arteries can occur due to cholesterol that is too high in the blood.

Similar to plaque buildup in the coronary arteries, buildup in the carotid arteries can also block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain, face, scalp, and neck. Of course, this condition is quite serious because it can be a cause of stroke.

A stroke can occur if blood flow to the brain is blocked. If this condition lasts for more than a few minutes, the cells in the brain will slowly die. This condition causes several parts of the body to be controlled by cells in the brain.

If a stroke has occurred, permanent brain damage may occur, impairing the ability to see and speak. In severe cases, stroke patients may be immobilized and die.

Peripheral artery disease ( peripheral artery disease )

Peripheral artery disease can also result from high cholesterol. As with other arterial diseases, peripheral arteries may occur due to plaque buildup in the peripheral arteries. This causes a blockage that blocks blood flow to the head, organs, and other body parts.

This blockage occurs because the arteries are narrowed. After all, there is a buildup of plaque in the arteries. This of course limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to organs and other body parts.

Generally, peripheral artery disease affects the arteries in the legs. However, this condition may cause problems with blood flow to the arms, kidneys, and stomach.

Of course, you should not underestimate the conditions that occur due to high cholesterol on this one. The reason is, peripheral artery disease often goes unnoticed. It is not uncommon for people to misinterpret peripheral artery symptoms for other conditions.

Not to mention, many medical experts also missed and failed to diagnose this condition. Patients who experience conditions that occur due to high cholesterol have a higher risk of coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

If peripheral artery disease is left untreated and not treated promptly with medication, the patient may have to undergo amputation.

Heart attack

One of the risk factors that can cause a heart attack is high cholesterol levels. When cholesterol levels are high, cholesterol will form plaque and accumulate in the arteries. This buildup causes blood flow to the heart to be blocked and causes coronary heart disease (CHD).

If CHD is not treated promptly, the patient will have a heart attack. When a heart attack occurs, the part of the heart that does not receive blood will slowly die. The problem is, high cholesterol has special symptoms. Symptoms of high cholesterol will only appear if the patient has experienced complications, one example is symptoms of a heart attack.

Therefore, before experiencing various health problems due to high cholesterol, you are advised to regularly check cholesterol levels. That way, you can more easily control cholesterol levels in the blood and keep cholesterol normal.

Stroke

One of the health problems due to high cholesterol that may occur is stroke. This health problem occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked. Of course, the brain cannot receive the amount of oxygen-rich blood it needs.

This blockage can occur if excess cholesterol levels form plaque and build up in the carotid arteries. Yes, other problems such as carotid artery disease can also be a cause of stroke.

Without the oxygen and nutrients it needs, the cells in the brain will die in a matter of minutes. This condition is considered serious because if it does not get immediate treatment, the health problems that can occur due to high cholesterol can cause permanent brain damage, disability, and even death.

Symptoms of a stroke can vary, ranging from mild symptoms to paralysis or numbness on one side of the body and face. Other symptoms include a severe headache, weakness, and an inability to see and speak normally.

Sudden cardiac arrest

There are also health problems that can also occur due to high cholesterol, one of which is sudden cardiac arrest. When experiencing this condition, the heart stops beating suddenly. If this happens, blood will stop flowing to the brain and all vital organs.

One of the causes of sudden cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease (CHD). As previously mentioned, coronary heart disease can occur if there is a buildup of plaque that clogs arteries. This prevents the flow of oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart.

This blockage occurs because cholesterol levels in the blood are too high. Excess cholesterol will form plaques that will accumulate in the arteries. If a coronary heart disease is left untreated and not treated immediately, the patient can have a heart attack. This condition if not treated immediately can develop into sudden cardiac arrest which can lead to death.

Therefore, if you want to prevent various health problems that occur due to high cholesterol, you should regularly check your cholesterol levels, at least every five years.

For those of you who have reached old age, it is recommended to regularly check cholesterol levels every two years. This helps you control the various causes and risk factors that can lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood.