| |
High levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream causes the build-up of plaque in the walls of blood vessels. This plaque gradually narrows the lumen of the blood vessels. When the blood flow is interrupted, many life-threatening risks arise:
Coronary Heart Disease
Over time, the plaque contributes to the hardening of arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis that narrows the coronary arteries. This impedes oxygen and nutrient supply to the heart. The shortage of oxygen and nutrients damages heart muscles and diminishes their capacity to pump blood. In worst-case scenarios, the plaque triggers the formation of blood clots in arteries, and the blood clots completely block the arteries, thus cutting off blood supply to the heart. Without oxygen and nutrients, the heart stops beating, resulting in heart attack, and possibly death.
Stroke
The cholesterol plaque may also interrupt blood supply to the brain. When the brain does not get enough blood it becomes oxygen-deprived. Your brain cells will be damaged and die, resulting in a stroke.
Peripheral Vascular Disease
When the cholesterol plaque interrupts the blood flow to other parts of the body, such as the arms and legs, it can cause numbness, pain, and maybe tissue death, or gangrene.
Other complications that have been linked to high cholesterol are:
• High blood pressure
• Gallstones
• Type 2 diabetes
• Intestinal ischemic syndrome
