PT Health Watch: Why high cholesterol is easy to miss but dangerous to ignore

High cholesterol is a dangerous health risk that often goes undetected because it rarely presents warning signs until severe complications develop, according to medical experts. This silent condition is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes.

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High cholesterol is one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies raised cholesterol as a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases, which remain the leading cause of death globally, accounting for approximately 17.9 million deaths each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) echoes this, emphasizing that high cholesterol often has no symptoms, making regular screening essential.

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Because it usually causes no symptoms, many people may be living with dangerously high cholesterol levels without knowing it.

While high cholesterol has traditionally been linked to older adults, health experts warn that evolving lifestyles, poor dietary habits, and physical inactivity are escalating the risks among younger populations. Dr. Happiness Akinde notes that in Nigeria, the increasing consumption of processed foods and increasingly sedentary lifestyles contribute to higher cholesterol levels, even in younger adults.

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Particularly in Nigeria, the increasing consumption of processed foods and increasingly sedentary lifestyles have made high cholesterol more common, even among younger adults.

Dr. Akinde explains that individuals over 40, those who are overweight or obese, and people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease face a significantly higher risk. A family history of high cholesterol or early heart disease, along with smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, further elevates the danger. She stresses that routine screening is vital because individuals may feel perfectly healthy while cholesterol silently accumulates in their arteries over years, only to be discovered after a heart attack or stroke.

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A person may feel completely healthy while cholesterol gradually builds up inside the arteries over many years. Many people only discover they have high cholesterol after developing complications such as a heart attack or stroke.