How High Cholesterol Increases Your Risk of Heart Disease and What You Can Do to Manage It

Cholesterol, a fatty substance produced by the liver, is vital to your body's functions. However, when cholesterol levels in the blood become too high, it poses a significant risk to heart health. It’s a widespread issue—around 94 million adults over the age of 20 have borderline high cholesterol levels.

At Internal Medicine of Greater New Haven, with multiple Connecticut locations, our team advocates for preventive healthcare.

Since February is American Heart Month, we are dedicating this month’s blog to explaining the dangers of high cholesterol for heart health and the proactive steps you can take to address it.

Here’s what the experts at Internal Medicine of Greater New Haven want you to understand.

Good vs. bad cholesterol

During your annual physical, a lipid blood test measures your cholesterol levels. This test typically evaluates:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often referred to as "bad" cholesterol, contributes to plaque buildup in artery walls.
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL), most commonly known as "good" cholesterol, helps remove plaque from the arteries.
• Triglycerides are fats that are not cholesterol but are essential for body functions.
• Total cholesterol is calculated from your LDL, HDL, and 20% of your triglyceride levels.

High triglyceride levels can increase the likelihood of heart attack, stroke, and pancreatitis.

The right amount of cholesterol is key

Cholesterol is necessary for producing bile, absorbing fat-soluble vitamins, and synthesizing hormones.

Foods rich in saturated fats, such as fatty meats, butter, and whole milk, can elevate LDL cholesterol levels. Smoking, stress, and alcohol consumption may also accelerate the formation of bad cholesterol.

Some individuals inherit a gene that impairs the body's ability to remove cholesterol, leading to elevated levels.

How high cholesterol impacts your heart

When excess cholesterol circulates in your blood, it can combine with minerals and other substances to form plaque on artery walls.

Over time, this plaque buildup hardens and narrows the arteries, limiting blood flow to essential organs and tissues. One example is coronary artery disease (CAD), a type of heart disease caused by plaque accumulating in the heart's main artery.

If a plaque ruptures, it can lead to the formation of a clot, which can block blood flow, potentially resulting in a heart attack or stroke.

Steps you can take

The only way to determine your cholesterol levels is through a blood test. Surprisingly, even people who appear healthy or are at a healthy weight may still have dangerously high cholesterol levels.

Our team checks for high cholesterol as part of your annual wellness exam.

If your cholesterol levels are elevated, we can work with you to create a plan to lower them. This will likely involve lifestyle changes such as:

• Quitting smoking
• Staying active
• Consuming high-fiber foods
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Sleeping at least seven hours each night
• At Comprehensive Primary Care, we specialize in managing chronic conditions like high cholesterol and can assist you in making the lifestyle changes necessary for better health.
• We also monitor your cholesterol levels over time to track your progress.

If your cholesterol remains high despite lifestyle changes, we may recommend cholesterol-lowering medications.

Take charge of your heart health

Let the team at Internal Medicine of Greater New Haven help you manage your cholesterol and keep your heart strong.  Contact us at Internal Medicine of Greater New Haven today. We have offices in Cheshire, Guilford, Hamden, Milford, North Haven, Meriden, Wallingford, West Haven, and Stratford, Connecticut.