High Cholesterol Specialist
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Nabeel Khan, MD
Primary Care Practice located in Huntsville, TX
Over 35 million Americans have high cholesterol, which significantly increases their risk of heart disease. At his private practice in Huntsville, Texas, board-certified internal medicine physician Nabeel Khan, MD, and his team offer thorough testing to diagnose high cholesterol and personalized treatment plans to reduce your cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease. Call Dr. Khan today or schedule a consultation online if you’re concerned about your cholesterol levels.
High Cholesterol
What is high cholesterol?
Your liver produces cholesterol — a waxy substance that your body uses to make new cells. The two main types of cholesterol are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
LDL cholesterol travels through your bloodstream, depositing itself where your body needs it. HDL cholesterol follows it, collecting any unused cholesterol and returning it to your liver.
High cholesterol occurs when you either have too much LDL or not enough HDL to manage the deposits left in your blood vessels.
High cholesterol causes fatty deposits to build up inside your blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis — also known as hardened arteries. This condition restricts your blood flow, leading to high blood pressure and heart disease.
What causes high cholesterol?
Your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs. While you may be genetically inclined to overproduce cholesterol, in most cases, high cholesterol is due to eating a high-fat diet. Other lifestyle factors contribute to high cholesterol, including:
- Obesity
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Smoking
- Diabetes
Your risk of high cholesterol also increases as you age — your body chemistry changes, which can interfere with how your liver removes excess cholesterol from your blood.
How is high cholesterol diagnosed?
High cholesterol doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms, so the only way to diagnose it is to have annual physicals, including complete bloodwork. Dr. Khan and his team can identify elevated cholesterol levels early to help reduce your risk of potentially dangerous complications.
How is high cholesterol treated?
The first step in treating high cholesterol is helping you make healthy lifestyle adjustments. This often includes cutting back on or eliminating foods that are high in saturated fat, as well as red meat and full-fat dairy products.
Dr. Khan can also help you give up smoking and add physical activity to your daily routine.
If lifestyle changes don’t lower your cholesterol, Dr. Khan can prescribe medicines such as statins, bile acid-binding resins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, and PCSK9 inhibitors. Often, a combination of medication and lifestyle changes are needed to treat high cholesterol.
If you’re due for a physical and blood tests or have concerns about high cholesterol, call Nabeel A. Khan, MD, today or make an appointment online.
