Everyday Health: What other health conditions are related to high cholesterol?

Pamela Warren, MS, CHN: High cholesterol is believed to be related to cardiovascular disease, or heart disease. Chronically high cholesterol levels produce clogged arteries, which lead to the complications of coronary heart disease. Imbalanced cholesterol levels, called dyslipidemia, are seen in many people who are developing type 2 diabetes. This is where the HDL (good) cholesterol level is lower and the LDL (bad) cholesterol level is higher than the healthy range. This is generally found along with very high triglyceride levels. It's very important to be aware of your levels of all four markers of cholesterol: total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. A health condition that can actually precipitate high cholesterol is hypothyroidism. People with a history of hypothyroidism have been found to develop high cholesterol. In this case, a mechanism of cholesterol metabolism is affected. The important LDL receptors responsible for processing LDL cholesterol are severely decreased. This decrease in LDL receptors results in a significant rise in LDL cholesterol levels in the blood.

Stuart A. Seale, MD: High cholesterol is associated with blockages in arteries; therefore high cholesterol will be associated with any disease that is influenced or caused by such blockages. This includes heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease, and high blood pressure. Also, high cholesterol is related to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Hormonal changes that occur in these conditions lead to elevated cholesterol levels.

Lisa Matzer, MD: High levels of cholesterol lead to blockages in the arteries. Obstructions in the arteries can lead to heart attacks and strokes. In addition, blockages in the arteries to the brain can cause dementia. Cholesterol can contribute to hardening of the arteries and decreased blood flow in any part of the body. In the legs, it can contribute to pain with walking and claudication, or limping. In the kidneys, it can be associated with decreased renal function.

Jacob DeLaRosa, MD: The health effects of cholesterol problems are due to atherosclerosis, which is narrowing and hardening of arteries. This is caused by the buildup of cholesterol on the vascular walls. Atherosclerosis can affect any blood vessel in the body. Therefore, the health effects of high cholesterol due to atherosclerosis include:

  • Coronary heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Angina
  • Heart arrhythmias - irregular heart rhythms
  • Transient ischemic attack (TIA, or ministroke)
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Peripheral artery disease

Jeanette Bronée, CHHC, AADP: High cholesterol indicates high inflammation, a condition that's similar to a rusted pipe, which means your general health is deteriorating. There are direct connections to high cholesterol, such as heart disease, but if you take a more holistic perspective, high cholesterol is one of your body's responses to high inflammation, so it is a symptom of being out of balance and needing to change your food choices and lifestyle overall, not just focusing on direct health conditions.