Symptoms in young people
Dr Chatterjee, an internal medicine specialist at Apollo Hospital, Delhi (India), said cholesterol is an important fat for the body, but if it is in excess, it can cause serious problems such as heart disease and stroke.
Although high cholesterol is more common in older adults, many young people in their 20s and 30s are now being diagnosed with high cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol, early control is important.
High cholesterol often has no obvious symptoms, making it a silent threat, says Dr. Chatterjee.
However, there are some warning signs, including jaundice or yellow patches around the eyes, chest pain or tightness, numbness or pain in the legs, and shortness of breath.
If cholesterol clogs blood vessels, this can reduce blood flow to vital organs like the heart and brain, causing fatigue and health complications.
Reason
Dr Chatterjee explains that the causes of high cholesterol in young people are mainly related to unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle and bad lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol.
Overwork and lack of exercise also contribute to high cholesterol levels.
Some people are also at genetic risk due to a family history of high cholesterol or underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, liver disease or hypothyroidism.
How to lower cholesterol
To effectively reduce cholesterol, according to Dr. Chatterjee, we can take some simple measures as follows:
Healthy diet: Increase foods rich in soluble fiber such as oats, lentils, fruits to reduce LDL cholesterol.
Choose healthy fats: Replace saturated fats with healthy fats from avocados, nuts, and olive oil.
Omega-3 supplements: Salmon, flaxseeds, and other foods rich in Omega-3s can improve heart health.
Limit processed foods: Reduce your intake of processed foods, fast foods, and sugary drinks.
Exercise regularly: Physical activity such as brisk walking for 30 minutes a day, strength training twice a week helps lower LDL cholesterol.
Weight loss: Losing as little as 5% of your body weight can lower LDL cholesterol.
Quit smoking and limit alcohol: Smoking lowers beneficial HDL cholesterol and damages blood vessels, while alcohol can increase triglycerides and cholesterol.
Stress Management: Chronic stress can lead to unhealthy eating habits and weight gain, which in turn increases cholesterol levels.
Get regular checkups: If you have a family history of high cholesterol, you should have your blood pressure and blood sugar checked to detect potential complications early.
