High Cholesterol

High cholesterol is a well-known risk factor for heart disease and can develop in adults, children, and teens. Cardiologist Humayun Naqvi, MD, MBA, at West Houston Heart Center in Houston, Texas, specializes in preventing heart disease and its life-changing consequences. His patients appreciate Dr. Naqvi’s commonsense approach to living their healthiest life with personalized cardiac care strategies that minimize risk factors like elevated cholesterol. Start your plan today by scheduling an evaluation. Call the office or request an appointment online.

Why is cholesterol bad for my heart?

Not all cholesterol is bad. Your body needs cholesterol (lipids or blood fats) to produce hormones, build cell membranes, and convert sunshine into vitamin D. Cholesterol is so vital to good health that the liver makes all you’ll ever need and distributes it throughout your bloodstream.

Unfortunately, when certain types of cholesterol rise above normal levels, it can build up in your arteries and form sticky plaques along vessel walls. The plaques can eventually grow large enough to restrict blood flow through the arteries that supply blood to your heart, brain, kidneys, and other vital organs.

Elevated cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) is a leading risk factor for coronary artery disease and an underlying trigger for a heart attack or stroke. It is especially problematic when combined with other conditions impacting your arterial health, such as untreated high blood pressure or poorly managed diabetes.

What causes high cholesterol?

High cholesterol may be related to several factors, including:

• Diet high in saturated fats (fatty meats and full-fat dairy)
• Excess weight
• Decreased physical activity
• Genetics
• Diabetes
• Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
• Hypothyroidism
• Excess alcohol intake
• Lupus
• Stressful lifestyle

Although it’s more common over age 40, the CDC estimates that 7% of children and teens aged 6 to 19 also have elevated cholesterol.

How do you treat high cholesterol?

Dr. Naqvi develops personalized treatment strategies based on a physical evaluation, medical history review, and diagnostic lab studies that may include a lipid profile and other blood tests. Depending on your cholesterol levels, you may also benefit from a vascular ultrasound or stress testing to check the health of arteries supplying your heart, brain, arms, or legs.

Your plan may include medication to help lower cholesterol and changes in diet, exercise habits, and other lifestyle factors affecting your cardiac health. Dr. Naqvi may also recommend improved control of diabetes, blood pressure, and other conditions impacting your arterial health.

Can you prevent high cholesterol?

Fortunately, many of the same remedies used to treat high cholesterol can also prevent the condition. At West Houston Heart Center, Dr. Naqvi develops lifelong prevention strategies and offers continued support and monitoring for people interested in protecting their cardiac health.

Schedule a cholesterol workup at West Houston Heart Center today. Call the office or request an appointment using their secure online service.