High cholesterol: Nutritionist reveals top prevention tips
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From benign to “devastating” consequences, high cholesterol can affect your eyes and your vision. The State University of New York’s College of Optometry explains how to spot the “serious” sign called a Hollenhorst plaque, which might point to high levels.
Dubbed as a silent condition, high cholesterol doesn’t tend to cause many symptoms; however, some warning signs might occasionally occur.
The university explains: “One sign that is very serious and potentially blinding is a plaque observed inside one of the small arteries within the eye, known as a Hollenhorst plaque.
“This is a build-up of cholesterol that has broken off from a clot “upstream,” usually from a much larger artery such as the carotid artery.”
The American Heart Association Journals share that this plaque refers to yellow, orange refractile cholesterol emboli.
What’s worse, a Hollenhorst plaque could lead to “irreversible” consequences in a matter of just hours.
The State University of New York’s College of Optometry writes: “The plaque in the eye will block the flow of blood further “downstream,” therefore occluding that artery and causing death to the tissue that is fed by that artery.
“This is called a Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion (BRAO) – or if the main arterial supply to the retina is blocked, a Central Retinal Artery Occlusion (CRAO).”
It’s no surprise that all the cells in your body need oxygen to survive. However, it’s the arteries that represent “highways” that carry this essential element.
The university adds: “If these “highways” are blocked by cholesterol plaques, blood doesn’t reach the tissue it was heading for, and thus oxygen doesn’t, either.
“This results in a quick (within hours) and irreversible loss of function, which could include blindness of the affected eye depending on the location of the blockage/occlusion.”
Although this type of plaque could be pointing to the underlying culprit – high cholesterol – the most reliable way of finding your levels remains getting a blood test.
Your doctor may either take blood from your arm or do a finger-prick test, the NHS details.
Once and if you get the condition confirmed, a medical professional will determine the best course of treatment for your case.
Fortunately, there’s plenty you can do to retrieve your levels from the danger zone.
From lifestyle changes to medicine, here are some of the interventions approved by the NHS.
For example, a cholesterol-lowering diet relies on cutting down on fatty food rich in saturated fats.
The NHS recommends eating more of these foods:
- Oily fish (mackerel and salmon)
- Brown rice, bread and pasta
- Nuts and seeds
- Fruits and vegetables.
Physical activity such as at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly could also help.
Other recommended lifestyle tweaks include quitting smoking and limiting your alcohol intake.
However, some people might have to take a medicine called statins to avoid further health problems and keep their levels in check.
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