Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Lifestyle
Antony Thrower & Nicola Roy & Cian O'Broin

'Silent' symptom of high cholesterol that appears on feet and other hidden signs

Doctors have revealed the 'silent' symptoms your body displays when trying to tell you that you have high cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol helps produce hormones and cell membranes, but too much can lead to adverse health issues.

It can clog up blood vessels and arteries, stopping blood from running through unhindered when they combine with plaques. These can lead to heart attacks and strokes when blood is cut off from essential arteries, The Daily Record reports.

READ MORE - Annie McCarrick murder probe twist as two brothers emerge as suspects

Diet, weight, lack of exercise as well as toxins from smoking and drinking alcohol can cause high cholesterol.

High cholesterol, also known as hyperlipidemia, has been labelled a 'silent killer' due to it only being detectable through blood examination.

Dr Sami Firoozi, consultant cardiologist at the Harley Street Clinic, told The Huffington Post that early signs can be detected on people’s toes.

Toenails that grow gradually or are "brittle" are a warning sign that someone has high cholesterol.

Tendon xanthomata is another, which forms as swelling of knuckles, knees and backs of ankles. Xanthelasmas, small yellow lumps of cholesterol near the inner corner of your eye and Corneal arcus, which is a pale ring might also appear around your iris on your eye.

Dr Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist said the key ingredient to lowering high cholesterol levels is fibre.

She said: "As a cardiologist, I always tell patients that lowering their LDL [low-density lipoprotein] 'bad' cholesterol can help prevent cardiovascular disease. Many foods have soluble fibre, which binds cholesterol in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation."

The expert also swears by oats and their benefits.

"Not only are they high in fibre, they contain plenty of antioxidants, including those that help improve blood vessel function and lower blood pressure," she added.

READ NEXT:

Get news updates direct to your inbox by signing up to our daily newsletter here

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.