Effects of High Cholesterol for Your Heart
16 Jul 2026
High cholesterol, especially bad cholesterol, has no apparent symptoms or signs in your body. If you do not have regular health checks, this cholesterol can harm your heart health and may be detected too late.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease caused 17.9 million deaths worldwide in 2019. Heart attacks and strokes are responsible for 85% of these deaths.
Given the high mortality rate and difficulty in identifying high cholesterol without a health check, here are some concerns to be aware of in relation to high cholesterol and heart health.
Cholesterol and Heart Disease
Although cholesterol is necessary for the body, excessive amounts can harm health, particularly the heart.
High cholesterol levels indicate that your total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels are higher than normal. This high cholesterol level puts your heart in jeopardy.
The heart is a vital organ whose primary function is transporting blood to all body parts that need it.
The heart collaborates with the body's blood-vascular system to perform its functions. Both ensure that blood circulation is constant, allowing the body's required substances to be transported.
Effects of high cholesterol levels, however, can disrupt this function. Excess cholesterol residues can form plaques on blood vessel walls.
At first, there are no concerns, but plaque buildup can narrow and even obstruct blood vessels with time. This narrowing and obstruction affect the condition of the heart.
Cardiovascular Problems
Imagine dirt accumulating in a water pipe. This condition will almost slow the flow of the water. If this debris plugs into the water pipe, you won't be able to get any water.
High cholesterol levels in the blood arteries have the same consequence as dirt in a water pipe. Plaque buildup not only narrows blood vessels but also causes them to stiffen.
The presence of this obstruction, as well as narrowing and hardening, may cause the heart to work harder. This increased cardiac performance can lead to heart rhythm issues and high blood pressure (hypertension).
The location of plaque formation also influences the type of risk for health problems. Plaque buildup in the coronary arteries, for example, increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
Coronary arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart. If your heart does not receive enough blood, it will weaken and eventually stop working. As a result, the body experiences a heart attack or heart failure.
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How to Check Your Cholesterol
Teenagers, like adults, are at risk of high cholesterol levels. As a result, it's critical to get your cholesterol checked as soon as possible.
Another reason for an early examination has already been mentioned. Because there are no significant symptoms of high cholesterol, you can appear healthy and fine even if your cholesterol level is high.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anyone over the age of 20 should have their cholesterol checked at least once every five years.
You should have more tests if you are at high risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, two medical checks every five years.
Referensi:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022), Cholesterol Myths and Facts.
World Health Organization - WHO (2021), Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
Cleveland Clinic (2022), High Cholesterol Diseases.
Cleveland Clinic (2022), Atherosclerosis: Arterial Disease.
MedlinePlus (2016), Coronary Artery Disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022), Get a Cholesterol Test.
Sumber: prodiadigital.com
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