High cholesterol: Nutritionist reveals top prevention tips
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Those with high levels of bad cholesterol have to take medications and manage it through their lifetime, so that they do not increase their risk of developing heart disease
Now, a new study has found that if you have high cholesterol that you may have a higher risk of developing a dangerous eye condition known as glaucoma.
A glaucoma is an eye condition where the optic nerve, that connects the brain to the eye, becomes damaged.
They are normally caused by the building up of fluid in the front of the eye.
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This increases pressure in the eye and, if not diagnosed and treated soon enough, can lead to loss of vision in that eye.
The study, published in JAMA Opthamology, looked at over 800 cases of the most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, in a study of over 136,000 participants who were followed over more than 15 years.
During this time, participants updated the researchers on their use of statins (a group of drugs used to lower cholesterol) and provided updates on their cholesterol levels.
Having collected the information and studied it, the authors of the study found “for every 20-point increase in total cholesterol, there was a 7 percent increase in glaucoma risk”.
They also noticed that the use of statins reduced the risk of developing glaucoma.
According to the study, “People who used statins for [more than] five years had a 21 percent lower risk of developing glaucoma”.
Glaucoma has a number of signs that you can look out for to see if you’re developing the condition.
The earliest sign that you have a glaucoma is that your peripheral vision begins to become affected.
However, since we don’t often think about our peripheral vision, we are less likely to notice if it starts to become affected.
Other more obvious signs include blurred vision and seeing rainbow-coloured circles around bright lights.
Occasionally, glaucoma may cause other symptoms that are more unpleasant including intense eye pain, nausea and vomiting.
Alongside this, you may start to feel a tenderness around the eyes and begin to develop a headache and a red eye.
It is recommended you should seek medical advice if at any point you have any concerns about your vision.
With glaucoma this is crucial as it can lead to blindness if not treated soon enough.
It can normally be detected during a routine eye test at your local opticians.
Glaucoma normally affects older people in their 70s and 80s.
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