United States: Experts have sounded alarm that high cholesterol levels, which put one at major health risk, could be identified on our hands.
More about the news
Cholesterol is needed for some bodily processes, but it becomes dangerous to health if it’s present in large proportions.
It is also well loathed for depositing in blood vessels without any evident sign, and results in the formation of arterial plaques, which results in arteries hardening that hampers blood flow.
Hidden threat
Alarmingly, a high cholesterol condition that is prevalent in nearly two out of every five UK residents is asymptomatic, getsurrey.co.uk reported.
All too often, people don’t even know they have high blood pressure until they suffer a major cardiac event such as a heart attack or stroke.
These can indicate peripheral arterial disease or PAD, a condition resulting from cholesterol plaque buildup in the arteries that affects blood circulation into the legs.
According to the routine, however, PAD patients‘ symptoms appear gradually, and once diagnosed, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
Ms Wassermann has noted other symptoms such as risk of heart attack, stroke, and numbness in addition to nail changes.
According to her, “Our bodies should ring alarm bells when under attack. Well, I beg to differ [as] this is not always the case with high cholesterol.” getsurrey.co.uk reported.
“High cholesterol attacks in silence, making it difficult to notice its symptoms. However, this does not mean you can completely fail to identify high cholesterol levels in your body,” she continued.
What more are experts stating?
Furthermore, Wassermann does raise a concern and a warning sign to look for: “One red flag could appear on your nails.” She specifically advice patients to watch out for pale-coloured nails.
“If you didn’t know, high cholesterol causes plaque formation in your blood vessels. The plaque then affects blood circulation, resulting in pale nails,” she highlighted.
Moreover, as per NHS, “brittle, slow-growing toenails” are clearly a sign of heightened cholesterol levels.
Consuming quality nutrients, good fats, and protein that contains low Glycemic Index fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fiber.