Does High Cholesterol Mean You Have Clogged Arteries?
Last updated September 11, 2013
… Continuing …
- In the worst scenario, a plague buildup of atherosclerosis can rupture suddenly. If this occurs, there is a chance to cause blood clot inside an artery. In the case when this blood clot occurs in the artery that carries rich-oxygen blood to the brain, a medical condition called stroke can occur. And in the case when it occurs in an artery that is close to your heart, you can experience a heart attack.
- The progress of a plague buildup of atherosclerosis can grow slowly, which then eventually can lead to a significant blockage in an artery. Once it causes a significant blockage, you may feel some symptoms such as chest pain or pain exertion in the legs (depending on where the blockage occurs).
- The plague may also grow until at a certain size and then it stops growing. But if you have it and you keep continuously stick with bad habits and lifestyles (such as poor in exercise and diet), you will resume the growth of this plague which then eventually can clog your artery.
And though the symptoms often occurs in middle and older age (as noted before), but atherosclerosis can starts early in your life. Below are some helpful statistics in 2001 published on WebMD:
- For teenager participants, about 17 percents of them had atherosclerosis. This suggests that the plague buildups from cholesterol and fatty deposits can occur before the age of 20.
- Most of healthy participants (about 52 percent) involved in the research had some atherosclerosis.
- And for participants older than 50, about 85 percent of all them had atherosclerosis.
Overall, the risk of having plague buildups from fatty deposits and cholesterols which then cause clogged arteries can vary from person to person. But in general, if you are now older than 40, you should be more careful to watch on any food that you put in your mouth.
If you are a healthy individual and now you are in the age of 40 or older, your chance of getting serious arthrosclerosis is about 50 percent (pretty high).
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2 Comments
I was researching how I have been diagnosed as having elevated LDL for 20 years. But in a recent super extensive physical to qualify as an organ donor they evaluated my arteries as absolutely plaque free, my heart as functioning incredibly well, outstanding kidney function and a liver with single digit fat. In fact, other than a discovered genetic clotting factor, I was the perfect donor even at 59 years of age if only I would lose 45 pounds (which I did using a controlled diet monitored by the donor team). I am questioning the need for medication for cholesterol that can potentially impact my other organs in some as yet unnecessary attempt to protect my arteries. Nowhere have I been able to find such information. I believe I may be the exception to the rule and would appreciate any information you can provide that I can discuss with my doctor 1/30/2019. Thank you.
Having a genetic clothing factor, especially at 59 years of age, is not easy to ignore. With lifestyle measures, medications probably are necessary to help control your LDL. In general, your medications should provide benefits that outweigh risks, that’s one of important points to remember. All the best for you!