High cholesterol: Nutritionist reveals top prevention tips
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Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced inside the liver that performs many important roles, such as building healthy cells. The body needs a healthy amount of cholesterol to function but having too much of it can spur on the development of heart disease. Unfortunately, symptoms do not usually alert you to high cholesterol, which makes it highly pernicious.
However, research has found a number of associations between high cholesterol levels and perceptible complaints.
According to a study published in the journal Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery, high total cholesterol levels were found to be associated with lateral epicondylitis.
Lateral epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow, is a condition that causes pain around the outside of the elbow.
Researchers retrospectively reviewed all patients with tennis elbow who presented to our institution between 2011 and 2015.
All cases included a diagnosis of tennis elbow based on clinical history and physical examination findings and age between 40 and 55 years.
For healthy controls, the researchers obtained data from a national cohort (sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) aged between 40 and 55 years.
They compared total cholesterol levels between the groups, determined the incidence of hypercholesterolemia (presence of high cholesterol in the blood) according to the occurrence of tennis elbow, and calculated odds for the occurrence of tennis elbow.
They also evaluated whether cholesterol levels were associated with clinical findings of tennis elbow, such as pain level, onset age, symptom duration, and number of corticosteroid injections (type of anti-inflammatory drug).
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What did the researchers find out?
The study, comprising 289 patients with tennis elbow and 1,077 healthy individuals, found total cholesterol levels were significantly higher in patients with tennis elbow than in healthy individuals.
The incidence of hypercholesterolemia was higher in tennis elbow patients than in healthy controls.
After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and glucose level, patients with hypercholesterolemia were 2.47 times more likely to experience tennis elbow than those with normal cholesterol levels.
Total cholesterol levels also correlated with pain level, onset age, and number of corticosteroid injections.
The researchers concluded: “A clinically meaningful difference in total cholesterol levels was found between lateral epicondylitis patients and healthy controls.”
They added: “In addition, the incidence of hypercholesterolemia was higher in lateral epicondylitis patients than in controls.”
Get tested
High cholesterol does not cause symptoms. You can only find out if you have it from a blood test.
The NHS says: “Your GP might suggest having a test if they think your cholesterol level could be high.”
According to the health body, this may be because of your age, weight or another condition you have (like high blood pressure or diabetes).
Ask your GP surgery for a cholesterol test if you have not had a test before and you’re over 40, overweight, or if high cholesterol or heart problems run in your family, it says.
There are two ways of having a cholesterol test.
- Taking blood from your arm
- Finger-prick test.
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