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High Cholesterol Specialist

Advanced Surgeons -  - Bariatric Surgery

Advanced Surgeons

Bariatric Surgery located in Valhalla, Poughkeepsie, & Carmel, NY

High cholesterol is a silent condition, meaning it comes with absolutely no symptoms for the majority of people who have it. Located in Valhalla, Carmel, and Poughkeepsie, New York, Advanced Surgeons offers nutrition services and lifestyle guidance to help you lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk for heart disease and other complications. To schedule an appointment, call the nearest office or book online today.

High Cholesterol Q & A

What is high cholesterol?

Cholesterol is something your liver produces naturally. It’s waxy in texture and helps with the production of certain hormones, cell membranes, and other important components inside your body. 

By itself, cholesterol can’t travel through your bloodstream to get to where it needs to go. It must latch onto lipoproteins (fat and protein particles) to go through your blood. There are two types: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). 

Too much LDL in your blood is a condition called high cholesterol. With LDL, cholesterol can build up along the walls of your arteries and cause them to get narrower. The buildup is called plaque, and it restricts blood flow and increases your risk for blood clots.

HDL, on the other hand, helps transport LDL cholesterol back to your liver so it can filter it out of your body. 

What are the symptoms of high cholesterol?

Part of what makes high cholesterol such a risky condition is that the vast majority of cases come with no symptoms whatsoever. Many people only find out they have high cholesterol when a serious health condition results from it, like a heart attack or stroke. 

To make sure you don’t have it, you should ask your physician about cholesterol screenings, starting around age 20. They may recommend them to you if you meet some of the risk factors for high cholesterol. 

Am I at risk for high cholesterol?

Various foods, lifestyle factors, health conditions, and genetic components can all increase your risk of getting high cholesterol. Your risk for high cholesterol is higher on average if you:

  • Are obese
  • Have Type 2 diabetes
  • Eat lots of saturated fats and trans fats
  • Lead a sedentary lifestyle
  • Have a smoking habit
  • Have familial hypercholesterolemia (a genetic disorder)
  • Have hypothyroidism
  • Have kidney disease

Your provider at Advanced Surgeons can help you evaluate your risk and decide if you need to make lifestyle changes in order to manage your high cholesterol. 

How can I manage my high cholesterol?

Lowering your cholesterol requires diligent diet and lifestyle changes and possibly medication. Advanced Surgeons offers nutrition services and personalized medical weight loss plans to help you lower your cholesterol and your risk for health conditions that come from having high cholesterol. 

Your provider helps you build an easy-to-follow diet that promotes lower cholesterol. Typically, that involves eating more high-fiber foods like fruits and veggies and choosing lean sources of protein like chicken, fish, or legumes. You also need to limit or avoid certain food types in your diet, like fried foods, processed foods, red meats, and high-fat dairy products. 

If you have concerns about high cholesterol, call the nearest Advanced Surgeons office or schedule an appointment online today.