Get online treatment for high cholesterol management.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is what practitioners are talking about when they refer to ‘bad cholesterol’. This type of cholesterol is the kind that causes plaque build-up in high cholesterol patients, which can lead to major health complications.

On the other hand, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the ‘good cholesterol’ that helps your body get rid of excess cholesterol that it doesn’t need. There is supposed to be a balance of both of these types of cholesterol in your body, which we refer to as your total cholesterol.

When total cholesterol in your body is less than 6.2 mmol/L and/or LDL levels are 3.5 mmol/L or above, it’s generally considered high cholesterol. Though, these ranges can vary depending on age, gender, or other health factors.

‍SIDE NOTE: You’ll often hear discussions about triglycerides in relation to high cholesterol management, so it’s important to know that triglycerides are a type of fat in your blood that can increase your risks of both heart attacks and strokes; especially alongside uncontrolled high cholesterol levels.

Yes, Felix provides testing to get a clear answer on whether you have high cholesterol levels or not. 

Or, if you’ve already received a diagnosis and require high cholesterol treatment and management assistance, complete a short online assessment to begin talking to a practitioner today.

They may be able to help you access any prescription high cholesterol treatments you may need, in addition to guidance on lifestyle changes that you can naturally improve your high cholesterol levels.

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Yes, there are a few different ways that Felix can help you with online high cholesterol support and management solutions.

Your practitioner will likely suggest a variety of potential lifestyle changes that you can make, in order to help naturally bring down your high cholesterol levels, using food choices and an increased exercise regimen.

In addition to this, if they believe it could be a beneficial part of your high cholesterol treatment and management plan, they can provide prescription high cholesterol medications (i.e., Statins) to help assist you in your journey to better control your cholesterol.

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It’s important to recognize that high cholesterol doesn’t actually directly ‘damage’ your metabolism, but there is a connection between high cholesterol and metabolism/metabolic health.

When you have high cholesterol it could indicate that you have a metabolic health imbalance. This is particularly prevalent in patients that have certain types of conditions, such as metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance.

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The most valuable thing to keep in mind when you’re meal planning and thinking about adjusting your typical foods to reduce high cholesterol is that your diet should be well-balanced and nutritious (i.e., lots of vitamins, minerals, and healthy proteins).

In regards to high cholesterol management, avoiding certain types of food known to cause high cholesterol is a good choice. This could include high cholesterol foods like:

• Fried foods (i.e., french fries, breaded, fried meat, anything cooked in oil)
• Foods made with trans fats
• Heavily processed foods
• Foods containing large amounts of salt
• Fatty foods (i.e., whole milk or high-percentage dairy products, fatty meats, etc.)
• Alcohol
• Sugary foods or drinks

Eating some of these foods in moderation is fine, as long as the rest of your diet is well-balanced and nutritious. However, consistently basing your diet on foods from these categories can increase your risks of experiencing high cholesterol symptoms.

Yes, it definitely can. In fact, uncontrolled high cholesterol can cause major health problems like coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

This is because without proper high cholesterol treatment and management, dangerous amounts of ‘plaque’ can build up on the walls of your arteries which can lead to both heart attacks and strokes, which can both be life-threatening.

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If you’ve had blood testing completed, your practitioner will likely start by suggesting a series of lifestyle changes. These can help reduce your high cholesterol levels naturally, while also improving your overall health.

This could include a variety of suggestions, such as:

• Losing weight (if you’re overweight or obese)
• Eating a healthy and balanced diet
• Exercising more frequently and/or for longer periods of time
• Reducing stress levels (i.e., through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, meditation, yoga, etc.)

In addition to these lifestyle suggestions, if your practitioner believes it could be beneficial as part of your high cholesterol management plan, they can provide prescription high cholesterol medications, which can also reduce cholesterol levels in your blood.

There are a variety of medications your practitioner may suggest as your high cholesterol treatment, depending on your individual needs.

Medications can help high cholesterol management by preventing plaque build-up within your arteries, which reduces the risks of negative conditions occurring.

When high cholesterol is managed, they can lead to plaque build-up in your arteries. Blood moves through your arteries like water moving through a pipe, but when the pipe becomes blocked, the water can no longer flow properly.

The same rules apply to your arteries. Blocked arteries prevent essential things like oxygen, nutrients, and blood itself from being able to reach your heart. Over time, depriving your heart of these important things can lead to it becoming diseased or damaged.

When your arteries become blocked by plaque, it can lead to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), which is one of the most common forms of heart disease worldwide. Left untreated, this can lead to potentially deadly health events like both heart attacks and strokes.

High cholesterol levels don’t actually cause weight gain, but there is a strong connection between unmanaged high cholesterol and metabolic health issues, including weight gain; especially when you also have metabolic syndrome.

Conversely, weight gain can lead directly to high cholesterol. This is because when your body is carrying excess weight (particularly visceral fat around your organs), it can lead to:

• Lower HDL levels (good cholesterol)
• Higher LDL levels and triglycerides (bad cholesterol and fats)
• Increased risk of experiencing both heart disease and type 2 diabetes

There are a wide variety of different potential causes of high cholesterol, so there are a number of different people who could be at risk of it occurring. Some people may even be genetically predisposed to high cholesterol levels, which may cause it to occur earlier in life.

Some conditions may increase the risks of high cholesterol occurring, as well. You may be at a higher risk of requiring high cholesterol treatment or management solutions if you have:

• Diabetes
• Hypothyroidism
• Chronic liver disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Familial hypercholesterolemia
• HIV
• Lupus
• Sleep apnea

You may also be at a higher risk of developing high cholesterol levels if you’re overweight or obese (overweight = BMI between 27-30; obese = BMI >30).

In addition to these conditions, there are some medications used in the treatment of other conditions, which may cause high cholesterol as a side effect. These include patients who are treating:

• Acne
• High blood pressure
• HIV
• Irregular heartbeat
• Cancer

People who have recently had an organ transplant may also be taking medications that cause high cholesterol levels, so if any of these conditions are currently being treated for you, be sure your practitioner is also periodically checking your blood cholesterol levels.

Yes, you can have high cholesterol with no symptoms. In fact, there are no common symptoms or signs of high cholesterol, which can help you identify that you may have high cholesterol levels. That’s why high cholesterol levels are often called a ‘silent condition’.

The only way to definitively determine whether your cholesterol levels are high is through blood tests, which your practitioner will suggest to help identify and diagnose this condition. This is part of the reason why period blood testing is important to help monitor your ongoing health as you age.

Since there are no common signs or symptoms of high cholesterol, many people don’t bother to seek high cholesterol treatment or management solutions until they’ve already begun experiencing the signs of Coronary Heart Disease, or they experience a heart attack or stroke.

By this point, there may already be irreparable damage done to your heart or arteries. Whereas prevention of high cholesterol through food choices and exercise can reduce the causes of high cholesterol before they occur.

In rare or extreme cases, there are some signs of high cholesterol on your face that you may be able to see. Be sure to talk to your practitioner immediately, if you begin to experience:

• Xanthomas - Fatty, yellow-coloured deposits under your skin or around your eyes, elbows, or knees. This is typically found in people with genetic lipid disorders.‍
• Arcus Senilis - A white or grayish ring that appears around the cornea of your eye. This is often seen in seniors, but it can be a sign of high cholesterol levels in people under the age of 45.

In addition to seeking online cholesterol support through Felix, there are some lifestyle changes that you can start making in your daily life to help with prevention and reducing high cholesterol levels.

Some changes that you can make which could begin to positively impact your cholesterol levels include:

• Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet
• Avoiding foods that are known to cause high cholesterol levels
• Losing weight (if you’re overweight or obese)
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing alcohol intake and only drinking in moderation
• Getting regular exercise

If you’d like to access Felix’s online high cholesterol supports, you can start today by completing a short online assessment. One of our practitioners will evaluate your current needs, health, lifestyle, and medical history to provide you with a customized high cholesterol treatment and management plan.

With Felix in your corner, you can take back control of your health and quality of life, so that you can get back to living life on your terms - the way it should be.