Cholesterol is used by the body to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can block your arteries, causing less blood to flow through them.
This can lead to a stroke or heart problems. While there are a number of ways to identify high cholesterol levels, there are some warning signs that show up in your feet, the Express reports.
These symptoms in particular may help you identify peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition caused by a build-up of fatty deposits inside your arteries that often concentrate in the feet.
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The British Heart Foundation (BHF) explains: "When the blood flow becomes worse, the body can’t deliver enough blood, nutrients and oxygen to the skin and soft tissues.
"This usually occurs in the feet, as they are furthest from the heart."
Signs include:
Pain
Ulcers
Gangrene.
According to the BHF, this is known as critical limb ischaemia, and rapid treatment is essential to have a chance of saving the leg. Other symptoms of PAD can include:
Hair loss on your legs and feet
Numbness or weakness in the legs
Brittle, slow-growing toenails
Ulcers (open sores) on your feet and legs, which do not heal
Changing skin colour on your legs, such as turning pale or blue
Shiny skin
In men, erectile dysfunction
The muscles in your legs shrinking (wasting).
You can reduce your risk by keeping high cholesterol levels at bay. Initially, the most important tip is to get a formal diagnosis of high cholesterol.
The general lack of symptoms means a blood test is the most reliable way of determining whether you have high cholesterol. According to the NHS, your GP might suggest having a test if they think your cholesterol level could be high.
If you have high cholesterol, a doctor or nurse will talk to you about how you can lower it. This might include things like changing your diet or taking medicine.
Overhauling your diet is usually the most effective way to reduce high cholesterol levels. Central to this effort is to replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats, says cholesterol charity Heart UK. Saturated fat is the kind of fat found in butter, lard, ghee, fatty meats and cheese.
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