High Cholesterol (Dyslipidemia)
Raised LDL cholesterol drives plaque build-up in arteries for decades before symptoms appear. Indians often carry an unfavourable pattern even at normal weight.
What it is
Dyslipidemia means an unhealthy pattern of blood fats — most importantly raised LDL ("bad") cholesterol, which deposits in artery walls, and often low HDL with high triglycerides, a combination particularly common in Indians even at normal body weight.
Why it matters
Cholesterol causes no symptoms; its damage shows up years later as coronary artery disease, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease. The only way to know your numbers is a fasting lipid profile — worth doing by the age of 30, earlier with a family history of early heart disease.
Treatment
How aggressively cholesterol should be lowered depends on your overall risk — someone with diabetes or a previous stent has a very different LDL target from a healthy 35-year-old. Statins remain the backbone of treatment, with newer options for those who need more. A preventive cardiac consultation puts your lipid numbers in the context of your whole risk picture and sets targets worth treating to.
Not sure if these symptoms matter?
A consultation answers that with an exam and the right tests — not guesswork.