5 Ways Your Cholesterol Affects Your Cardiovascular Health

If you’re looking after your cardiovascular health, chances are, you’re keeping your cholesterol in mind. But how many of us know how cholesterol interacts with heart health? How many of us even know what cholesterol is, beyond wanting to keep it low? In this article, we’ll go over what cholesterol is and the five major way it impacts your heart’s health.

What is cholesterol, anyway?

Cholesterol isn’t actually bad on its own. It’s essential to a normal, functioning body! Cholesterol is what helps your body build new cells, keep your nerves working, and produce hormones. In an ideal situation, you’ll get all your cholesterol from your liver. Where things go awry is when you get too much cholesterol from food. Some supplemental cholesterol is fine, but too much cholesterol in your body puts you at risk for heart disease. Some major sources of cholesterol include dairy products, eggs, and meat.

Here are the five ways that cholesterol affects your cardiovascular health:

Too much cholesterol in your blood creates build ups in your arteries, directly affecting your cardiovascular health. This process is called atherosclerosis—it’s a form of heart disease. When there’s cholesterol build-up on your arteries, they become narrow, making it more difficult for blood to travel through them. When doctors talk about “blocked arteries,” this is what they’re referring to. Even with minor blockages, you may experience chest pain. At worst, the result is a heart attack.
Did you know that cardiovascular health and memory are closely linked? High cholesterol’s affect on your cardiovascular health also extends to your brain! Remember your body doesn’t work in isolation, it’s a closed system. Blockages in your arteries can cause strokes, but it can also impair basic memory function. This can manifest as anything from misremembering names to misplacing your keys. It’s hard to know when memory changes are a red flag for high cholesterol, or even cardiovascular problems more generally—but they are linked.
Cholesterol affects your cardiovascular health by disrupting the circulation in your body. Poor circulation can cause a number of problems. When cholesterol is clogging your arteries, your veins become less flexible, and in some cases even harden. When the blood isn’t flowing as well, it’s more difficult for your body to push blood to your heart and brain. Over time, this can become serious heart disease. It won’t only cause chest pain (known as angina) though, it may also cause numbness in your feet, ankles, and legs.
High cholesterol is the number one preventable factor in almost all cardiovascular related diseases.
In mild cases, it causes fatigue, related to your cardiovascular health.

Who should get cholesterol tests?

It’s never too early to pay attention to your cardiovascular health. Some studies show that artery blockages can begin as early as childhood and adolescence. That means that healthy eating, weight management, and avoiding smoking should begin as early as possible. That doesn’t mean that some people aren’t more at risk than others though. While we recommend that people pay attention to their cholesterol at any age, the following demographics are at higher risk than others:

People under 40:

If you’re under 40, chances are you’re not at major risk for heart disease. The basic recommendation for people in this age group is to avoid smoking, eat a healthy diet, and to exercise regularly. That doesn’t mean that you should ignore any concerns you might have though—if you suspect you have high cholesterol, let your physician know. Cholesterol tests are usually covered under basic insurance plans.

People between 40 and 75:

Regardless of their lifestyle, people in this age group should always get cholesterol tests.

What should I do if I have high cholesterol?

Cholesterol can be lowered. If you have high cholesterol, there are a number of lifestyle factors that you should change. First and foremost, if you smoke—quit the habit. Smoking is a major risk factor for high cholesterol. The second major thing you can do is to incorporate strength training and cardio into your daily routine. All it takes is 15-20 minutes a day—you don’t need to be sweating it out at the gym for hours on end. Lastly, while your genes definitely play a role, diet makes a tremendous difference in your cholesterol levels.

Diets that reduce cholesterol

A low cholesterol diet isn’t difficult to design. Here are some foods you can avoid:

Saturated fats. Saturated fats can impact your cholesterol. Saturated fats include red meat, whole-fat dairy products, eggs, and vegetable oils like palm oil.
Trans fats. Avoid trans fats at all cost! In no circumstances are they good for your cardiovascular health.

“Safe” foods:

If you’re struggling to come up with foods that might be good for your heart, look no further. Here’s a list of foods to get you started on your journey towards improved heart health:

Olive oil. Consider a nice salad of dark leafy greens with olive oil instead of a fatty dressing.
Beans. Beans are great for your cardiovascular health. (They’re also not bad as a source of fiber!) A great example of a heart healthy bean dish is Italian white bean soup.
Nuts of any kind.
Whole grains.
Chia seeds.
Soy-based products. (Eat these in moderation! Too much soy can have a negative effect on your hormones.)
Red wine. Believe it or not, a little drink isn’t such a bad thing. Red wine can have an extremely positive impact on your cholesterol. Just don’t overdo it—too much alcohol on the other hand can have disastrous effects.
Fruits like apples and pears.
Fatty fish like mackerel, tuna, and sardines.
Flax seeds.

Finding out you have high cholesterol can be extremely scary. It’s impossible to completely “unblock” your arteries, but steps can be taken to reverse some of the worst effects. Don’t let high cholesterol be the end of striving to be healthy. It should inspire you to do better. The right diet and taking exercise seriously can be life changing.