The One Thing You Should Never Do if You Have High Cholesterol
Person checking their blood pressure with a tonometer
Not all cholesterol is bad—but high cholesterol is.
First, let's get what cholesterol actually is out of the way: Cholesterol is a waxy substance that aids in the creation of hormones and vitamin D and in the building of cells, so it's important to have some cholesterol. However, all the cholesterol you actually need comes from your liver, and any other cholesterol in your blood is generally regarded as excess. As a result, if your diet is high in meat, dairy, saturated fats and trans fats, your cholesterol could be higher than it should be.
You'll want your "good" cholesterol—called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to be higher than your "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL).
That said, if your "bad" cholesterol (HDL) is high, what's the worst thing you can possibly do regarding your health?
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The One Thing You Should Never, Ever Do If You Have High Cholesterol, According to a Cardiologist
"The worst thing patients can do is ignore it!" Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, MD, practicing board-certified cardiologist near Minneapolis and founder and chief medical officer of Step One Foods, tells Parade. "High cholesterol, and especially high LDL (bad) cholesterol, is one of the most well studied, consistently linked risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis."
Atherosclerosis is plaque buildup in the arteries.
"In fact, there is an almost linear correlation between LDL levels and heart disease risk," Dr. Klodas advises. "By ignoring your cholesterol numbers, you are only inviting disaster."
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What Are the Biggest Health Risks Associated With High Cholesterol?
If your LDL is too high, it can cause a host of problems, including artery blockage if it combines with triglycerides and other substances, according to the American Heart Association. That can in turn lead to heart attacks, stroke and peripheral artery disease (PAD).
Dr. Klodas says that the higher your LDL is, the higher the odds are that you'll need bypass surgery or a stent—and that those will likely just be the tip of the iceberg of the health issues you may face in the long term.
"Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans and high cholesterol is a significant contributor to that statistic," she explains. "No wonder doctors are so focused on monitoring cholesterol profiles and keeping LDL levels low."
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How Can Patients With High Cholesterol Best Protect Their Heart Health?
If you have high cholesterol, you aren't doomed, and you have choices beyond popping prescription drugs—though obviously if your doctor prescribes you medication, please take it as they recommend to do so!
"Although most people with high cholesterol think their only option is going on medications, nothing could be further from the truth," Dr. Klodas explains. "In the vast majority of cases, high cholesterol is not caused by a deficiency of drugs like statins but is caused in part or in whole by a deficiency of the right foods. Some people should be on statins, but everyone can help lower their cholesterol through the foods they eat—meaning that even if you need medications, you will be able to control your readings with lower doses of drugs. That means you will be less likely to develop any side effects, which are predominantly dose-related."
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According to Dr. Klodas, diet is key when it comes to controlling your cholesterol levels.
"Consuming meaningful amounts of whole food fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, plant sterol and antioxidants (nutrients that are primarily found in a whole food, plant-based diet) can markedly lower LDL," she says. "In fact, even eating two snacks per day that are specifically formulated to supply meaningful levels of these nutrients has been shown to significantly lower LDL cholesterol in as little as 30 days, with some individuals experiencing statin-level reductions in 30 days with food."
Not only with a cholesterol-healthy diet get your levels to a sustainable place, but you'll also see other health benefits, Dr. Klodas points out, explaining: "If you eat in a way that helps lower cholesterol, you're also eating in a way that helps lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar control and support healthy weight loss."
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