A simple test that takes seconds and can be done at home could help people work out if they have high cholesterol.
Good cholesterol is called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – this absorbs cholesterol and sends it back to the liver to flush it from the body.
Bad cholesterol, in contrast, is called low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and is linked to diets heavy in saturated fats, like red meat, processed food, cake and fried dishes.
LDL sticks to the walls of your blood vessels, forming a plaque that increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Many people who are obese or have diabetes also have high cholesterol.
Knowing your cholesterol levels is vital – so too is making the right changes to your lifestyle to lower your LDL and reduce your risk of life-changing illness.
This can even be done at home with a simple test.
Your cholesterol levels, both good and bad, are a measure of your heart health.
They can help guide you to make decisions about your lifestyle that will have wide-ranging positive consequences.
“Conducting the shin test can help you determine whether you have high cholesterol levels or even coronary heart disease due to the increased cholesterol amounts, says Dr Monika Wassermann.
“To know if you have excess cholesterol in the body, press your shin gently with one finger. If there is a visible dent or hole on the shin, this implies that your cholesterol levels are too high.”
She added how this test indicates that the “excess cholesterol amount [has] slowed down and [inhibited] smooth blood pumping and flowing which makes the heart struggle to supply blood effectively”.
When asked for any unusual symptoms indicating you may have high cholesterol, Dr Wassermann said: “Pale toenails and numbness in the legs and feet can also indicate high cholesterol levels.
“But the best way to know if you have moderate or high cholesterol levels is by doing a blood test. Your cholesterol amounts account for higher."
She stressed the importance of knowing your numbers as high cholesterol levels are directly influenced by heart attack or stroke risks.
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Dr Stuart Sanders, GP at The London General Practice, said the only observational way to know if you have high cholesterol is by looking at your eyes.
“When you have a high cholesterol, you may spot arcus senilis, which is a ring in your eye round the pupil," he revealed.
At home cholesterol test
A person can check their cholesterol levels at home by using a test kit, which involves pricking your finger with a lancet.
You then place the blood droplet on a test strip.
“The cholesterol home test strip has special chemicals that change colours after a few minutes,” added WebMD.
It added: “You then match the final colour against a colon guide that's included with the kit and this colour will tell you how much cholesterol is in your droplet of blood.”
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