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Cholesterol 101
Looking top expert high cholesterol treatment specialist in Burbank LA? Explore innovative treatment options. Call Dr. Cynthia’s Cholesterol 101 guide for more information. High cholesterol treatment is a common but serious concern for Americans, especially middle-aged and elderly Americans. Over 73 million adult Americans (more than 30 percent of the population) have high cholesterol, and of these, less than one in three has the situation under control. Globally, 2.6 million deaths are attributed to raised cholesterol, as well as a third of ischaemic heart disease. The Holistic Healing Heart Center’s mission is to protect the health, particularly the cardiovascular health, high cholesterol physical symptoms, of its patients and the wider community. According to the American Heart Association, high cholesterol significantly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
What You Need to Know About High Cholesterol Treatments
High cholesterol treatments focus on lowering LDL levels, improving HDL cholesterol, and reducing long-term cardiovascular risk. At the Holistic Healing Heart Center, high cholesterol treatments are customized based on lifestyle, genetics, and metabolic health. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all solution, our high cholesterol treatments address diet, inflammation, stress, and heart function to support lasting results.
Meanwhile, cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance produced by the liver and also found in animal fats. In fact, it is classified as a lipid and performs several essential functions in the human body. However, most people do not need dietary cholesterol because the body can produce an adequate amount on its own. Broadly speaking, cholesterol is divided into two main categories: “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol.”
- Good cholesterol (also known as high-density lipoprotein, or HDL) helps remove bad cholesterol from your body by returning it to the liver. In healthy amounts, HDL cholesterol can reduce the risk of heart disease or strokes. It can also cut down on the chance of blood clots.
- Bad cholesterol (generally referred to as low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) carries cholesterol through the body so that it can perform its necessary roles. However, in higher concentrations, it can stick to the walls of your arteries, important blood vessels that carry gallons of blood around your body every hour. This cholesterol plaque, as it is called, is one of the risk factors for heart disease, as it limits blood flow. Build-up of bad cholesterol is sometimes called atherosclerosis. If these plaques rupture or tear, they can cause blood clots, either blocking the flow of blood at the site or plugging an artery somewhere further in the bloodstream. Depending on where it occurs, a blockage in blood flow can cause a heart attack or stroke.
Common Causes That Require High Cholesterol Treatments
It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to limit exposure to bad cholesterol and keep cholesterol levels within a healthy range. However, many aspects of the standard American lifestyle contribute to elevated cholesterol levels.
For example, eating high-cholesterol foods such as red meat, lard, shortening, full-fat and reduced-fat dairy products, and saturated vegetable oils can raise cholesterol. In addition, trans fats, often listed as “partially hydrogenated oils,” increase LDL cholesterol while lowering HDL cholesterol. These fats are commonly found in processed foods such as frozen pizza, cakes, cookies, crackers, and fried snacks like donuts.
Similarly, physical inactivity can lead to higher cholesterol levels. Regular activity helps the body produce more HDL cholesterol, which assists in managing LDL levels. Therefore, if you do not exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week, your body has fewer tools to regulate cholesterol effectively.
- Eating high cholesterol foods, such as red meat, lard, shortening, full and reduced fat dairy, and saturated vegetable oils (e.g. coconut and palm oil). Trans fats (sometimes called ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ on food packaging) can also contribute negatively to cholesterol levels, raising the levels of LDL while lowering the level of HDL. They are often found in commercially-sold baked goods like frozen pizza, cakes, biscuits, cookies, crackers, and especially fried snacks like donuts.
- Inactivity is also a problem that can contribute to higher levels of cholesterol. High cholesterol physical symptoms activity is one of the ways that the body is spurred to create more HDL to manage LDL levels. If you aren’t performing half an hour of exercise at least five times a week, you aren’t giving your body a fighting chance.
- Smoking is, unsurprisingly, another risk factor which compounds the problem of high cholesterol. The chemicals in tobacco smoke, when they enter the bloodstream through the lungs, cause damage to the arteries which make them much more vulnerable to cholesterol plaque. What’s worse, smoking reduces the amount of HDL in the body. It is a multiplier for the risk of heart disease. In fact, for someone with a family history of heart disease and a high cholesterol level, smoking can increase the risk of heart disease by a factor of ten.
- Obesity also has a significant effect on cholesterol levels. In general, it increases the amount of LDL cholesterol produced and reduces the body’s ability to remove it from the bloodstream. In fact, more than 78 million American adults are affected by obesity and may require targeted cholesterol disease treatment. As a result, standard blood cholesterol treatments may be less effective for individuals with higher body weight.
- First, people with obesity often have difficulty adjusting LDL production based on dietary fat intake. By comparison, individuals with lower body fat can regulate cholesterol production more efficiently.
- Additionally, obesity frequently leads to chronic inflammation. Because of this, the body’s response to dietary fats becomes further impaired.
- Finally, obesity can contribute to insulin resistance. Consequently, the enzymes responsible for regulating cholesterol become less responsive, making cholesterol management more challenging.
- Aside from lifestyle, there are other possibilities that put an individual at risk when it comes to cholesterol. Genetic factors, such as the ability to process cholesterol and fat efficiently, can have an impact. Broadly speaking, if both your parents suffered from high levels of LDL cholesterol, you are also likely to develop such a complaint.
- In particular, there is a rare inherited condition known as familial hypercholesterolemia, which causes high hypercholesterolemia cholesterol levels of total cholesterol and LDL in particular. It generally affects 0.2% of the population. The best way of detecting this condition is through a blood test.
Statins vs Holistic High Cholesterol Treatments
A common treatment for high levels of cholesterol is statins. These drugs block the capability of the liver to produce cholesterol. This lowers LDL and total cholesterol levels, while lowering triglyceride levels and raising HDL levels. They are also thought to stabilize cholesterol plaques in arteries, reducing the likelihood of heart attacks. Statins are considered a standard prescription for those suffering from high levels of cholesterol. However, they are not free from side effects. They commonly cause:
- Headaches
- Flushing of the skin
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Bloating and/or gas
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Rash
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Myalgia (muscle pain and tenderness)
More Severe Side Effects of Cholesterol Medications
- Myositis: In some cases, statins and other cholesterol medications may cause muscle injury and inflammation, leading to muscle pain, tenderness, and weakness.
- Rhabdomyolysis: In rare cases, this severe form of muscle damage causes widespread muscle pain and weakness. As a result, proteins enter the bloodstream and may damage the kidneys, potentially leading to kidney failure or death. This affects about 1 in 10,000 statin users.
If you are concerned about your cholesterol, we invite you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Cynthia Thaik.
Meet Dr. Cynthia Thaik, MD - Functional & Integrative Cardiologist
Dr. Cynthia Thaik is a board-certified cardiologist who integrates functional medicine into her concierge practice with a specialized focus on cardiovascular and neurovascular optimization.
She devotes one week per month exclusively to functional medicine consultations via telehealth, allowing for deep, unrushed care. During this time, Dr. Thaik works closely with patients seeking transformation, root-cause healing, and individualized strategies grounded in integrative science.
Her approach combines:
- Precision diagnostics
- Advanced cardiovascular expertise
- Compassionate, heart-centered listening
- Extensive patient education
“Cardiovascular consultations and diagnostic services are covered by insurance. Functional medicine services are offered exclusively as concierge, self-pay services”
Schedule Your Telehealth Consultation with Dr. Cynthia
If you’re living with atrial fibrillation and want to explore natural treatment options, Dr. Cynthia is here to help. She provides telehealth consultations to guide you through personalized care plans, addressing lifestyle changes, supplement use, and stress management techniques tailored to your unique health needs.
Dr. Cynthia Thaik will perform a thorough cardiovascular assessment, looking at cardiac function, ruling out structural damage, checking paroxysmal atrial fibrillation symptoms, assessing the adverse effects of hypertension and dietary toxicity (alcohol, caffeine, excessive inflammatory foods), checking for vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, and exploring the impact of stress on arterial tone and the autonomic nervous system regulation of the cardiovascular system.
The patient will have an option to receive individual coaching from a mindfulness instructor. Together, this integrative team approach to Afib will provide the patient with the best opportunity to address the root causes underlying the atrial fibrillation and hopefully restore normal sinus rhythm. As with all health conditions, our goal is to help Afib patients transition from symptoms and disease care to optimal health and wellness – true preventive cardiology.
If you have been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation and are looking for natural treatments, Schedule a virtual visit or call for Telehealth Appointment at (818) 842 1410
Frequently Asked Questions
High cholesterol can result from an unhealthy diet rich in saturated and trans fats, lack of physical activity, smoking, obesity, and genetic factors. People with a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease, as well as middle-aged and older adults, are at a higher risk.
High cholesterol often has no noticeable symptoms until it leads to serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, or atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in arteries). Regular blood tests are the best way to detect high cholesterol early and prevent complications.
Dr. Cynthia Thaik provides comprehensive and personalized care for patients with high cholesterol. Treatment may include lifestyle counseling, dietary guidance, exercise recommendations, natural therapies, and, when necessary, prescription medications like statins. The approach focuses on preventing heart disease and promoting long-term cardiovascular health.
Yes. Dr. Cynthia offers Telehealth consultations where she evaluates your cardiovascular health, reviews lifestyle factors, and creates a personalized treatment plan. You can schedule your virtual visit or call the Holistic Healing Heart Center at (818) 842-1410 to book an appointment.
