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Fatigue is common with high cholesterol. However, high cholesterol does not directly cause fatigue. In most cases, high cholesterol is symptomless, but causes emergencies due to the damage caused by complications.
Can High Cholesterol Cause Fatigue
Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance in the blood that is made by your liver and from the food you eat. The body uses cholesterol to make cell membranes, vitamin D, and hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.
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Cholesterol does not mix with water, so it must be packaged in particles called lipoproteins in order for it to travel through the body through the blood.
LDL is often referred to as “bad cholesterol.” High levels of LDL cholesterol can build up in the blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen throughout the body (through the arteries). This buildup of cholesterol can lead to the formation of a hard fatty substance called plaque, which can block arteries.
Eating foods high in fat can increase LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. High LDL cholesterol levels are known as high cholesterol, hyperlipidemia, or hypercholesterolemia.
HDL is sometimes referred to as “good cholesterol” and helps bring LDL back to the liver to be processed and removed from the body.
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Complications such as stroke or heart attack are often the only symptoms of high cholesterol. However, this usually doesn’t happen until plaque has formed in your arteries due to high cholesterol levels.
These plaques can narrow the arteries, allowing less blood to pass through. If the plaques get too big and break off, they can block arteries and cause complications.
Coronary artery disease¹ (heart disease or CAD) can occur when plaque builds up in the arteries. If blood flow is blocked, it can manifest as chest pain (also known as angina pectoris) or a heart attack.
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Peripheral artery disease² (PAD) usually occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries and prevents blood from reaching areas such as the stomach, extremities and kidneys.
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Call 911 or seek medical attention right away if you suspect you or someone you are with is having a stroke or heart attack.
High cholesterol usually does not cause symptoms. The only way to know if you have high cholesterol is to have a blood test.
Fortunately, there are many ways to manage these risks, and often it may just be a matter of making lifestyle changes or taking medication.
If you have a family member with any of these conditions, you should talk to your doctor about having a blood test to check your cholesterol. These conditions can sometimes affect young people as well, so it’s always best to get checked.
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High cholesterol does not directly cause fatigue. Fatigue is often associated with complications of high cholesterol, but high cholesterol usually does not cause symptoms. High cholesterol can lead to coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, or stroke if left untreated.
The only way to determine if you have high cholesterol is through a blood test ordered by your doctor. High cholesterol can be managed by changing your lifestyle or taking medication. There are also many ways to prevent high cholesterol, such as: Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood and cells. Your liver produces most of the cholesterol in your body. The rest comes from the food you eat. Cholesterol travels in your blood in packaged packages called lipoproteins.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the “bad,” unhealthy cholesterol. LDL cholesterol can build up in your arteries and form fatty, waxy deposits called plaque.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the “good” healthy type of cholesterol. It transports excess cholesterol from your arteries to your liver, which removes it from your body.
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Cholesterol itself is not bad. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and digestive fluids. Cholesterol also helps your organs function properly.
But too much LDL cholesterol can be a problem. High LDL cholesterol can damage your arteries over time, contribute to heart disease, and increase your risk of stroke. Checking your cholesterol during regular doctor visits and reducing your risk of heart disease through diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, and medications can help reduce heart disease-related complications and improve your quality of life.
When you have too much LDL cholesterol in your body, it can build up in your arteries, blocking them and making them less flexible. Hardening of the arteries is called atherosclerosis. Blood doesn’t flow well in hardened arteries, so your heart has to work harder to pump blood through them. Over time, after plaque builds up in the arteries, heart disease can develop.
A buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries can block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. This can cause chest pain called angina. Angina is not a heart attack, but it is a temporary disturbance of blood flow. This is a warning that you are at risk of a heart attack. A piece of plaque can eventually break off and form a clot, or the artery can narrow again, which can completely block blood flow to your heart and lead to a heart attack. If this process occurs in the arteries leading to the brain or in the brain, it can cause a stroke.
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Plaque can also block blood flow in the arteries that supply blood to your intestinal tract, legs, and feet. This is called peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Your body’s hormone-producing glands use cholesterol to make hormones like estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol. Hormones can also affect your body’s cholesterol levels. Research has shown that as estrogen levels increase during a woman’s menstrual cycle, HDL cholesterol levels increase and LDL cholesterol levels decrease. This may be one reason why women’s risk of heart disease increases after menopause, when estrogen levels decline.
Decreased thyroid hormone production (hypothyroidism) leads to an increase in total and LDL cholesterol. An excess of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) has the opposite effect. Androgen deprivation therapy, which lowers levels of male hormones to stop prostate cancer from growing, can raise LDL cholesterol levels. Growth hormone deficiency can also increase LDL cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol is an essential component of the human brain. In fact, the brain contains about 25 percent of the body’s total cholesterol supply. This fat is essential for the development and protection of nerve cells, which allow the brain to communicate with the rest of the body.
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Although you need some cholesterol for your brain to function optimally, too much of it can be harmful. Excess cholesterol in the arteries can lead to a stroke – a blood circulation disorder that can damage parts of the brain, causing difficulty with memory, movement, swallowing and speech, among other functions.
High blood cholesterol itself has also been linked to loss of memory and mental function. Having high blood cholesterol can speed up the formation of beta-amyloid plaques, the sticky protein deposits that damage the brain in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
In the digestive system, cholesterol is essential for the production of bile, a substance that helps your body break down food and absorb nutrients in the intestines. But if you have too much cholesterol in your bile, the excess forms into crystals and then into hard stones in the gallbladder. Gallstones can be very painful.
Tracking your cholesterol levels with recommended blood tests and reducing your risk of heart disease can help improve your overall quality of life.
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Our experts are constantly monitoring the health and wellness space, and we update our articles as new information becomes available. Find out how high cholesterol affects your body and what it could mean for your future health.
A simple blood test can tell if you have high cholesterol—as do 38 percent of American adults.
Although high cholesterol isn’t something you notice every day, it means you’re at risk for — or may already have — heart disease, the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States.
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Having high cholesterol can cause the arteries to harden and narrow. Plaque buildup—a combination of cholesterol, fat, waste products from your cells, calcium, and fibrin (a protein that helps blood clot), explains the American Heart Association (AHA)—can reduce or block blood flow in arteries. That’s why cholesterol is important: Not getting enough blood flow to the brain or heart can lead to a stroke or heart attack.
For many people, lifestyle plays a major role in the development of the condition. “Often it’s a combination of diet and how active you are, as well as your genetic ability to produce cholesterol,” says Raj Khandwala, MD, cardiologist and director of digital therapy.
