Medical experts have warned that there's a 'silent' symptom of high cholesterol levels that can show up on your feet. Cholesterol is vital within the body to help create hormones and cell membranes, but too much of the fatty substance can lead to significant health problems.
It can clog up blood vessels and arteries, preventing the blood from running through smoothly when they combine with other substances and form plaques. The Mirror reports that these can grow over time, leading to problems such as heart attacks and strokes since the blood is unable to reach vital arteries.
It is usually linked to an unhealthy diet, being overweight, not exercising enough, smoking and drinking alcohol. High cholesterol, also known as hyperlipidemia, is often desribed a 'silent killer' because patients can only find out they have it after undergoing a blood test.
But Dr Sami Firoozi, consultant cardiologist at the Harley Street Clinic, told Huffington Post that there's a sign of the condition that can show in people’s toes. Toenails that grow slowly or are brittle are a warning sign that someone has high cholesterol.
Three other signs are Tendon xanthomata which is the swelling of knuckles, knees and backs of ankles, Xanthelasmas which are small yellow lumps of cholesterol near the inner corner of your eye and Corneal arcus which is a pale ring might appear around your iris.
According to the British Heart Foundation, nearly half of all adults in the UK are living with cholesterol levels that are higher than the national guidelines, which is more than 5mmol/L. However, cardiologist Dr Elizabeth Klodas has recently revealed the top three foods that help to cut cholesterol levels and they all contain the key ingredient of fibre.
The expert said: "As a cardiologist, I always tell patients that lowering their LDL [low-density lipoprotein] 'bad' cholesterol can help prevent cardiovascular disease. Many foods have soluble fibre, which binds cholesterol in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation.”
Firstly, Dr Klodas has hailed oats as essential to lowering cholesterol, she said: "I always stock my kitchen with oats, and typically have half a cup per day. Not only are they high in fibre, they contain plenty of antioxidants, including those that help improve blood vessel function and lower blood pressure ."
Another fibre-rich food you should consider adding to your shopping list is the chickpea, which offers a variety of health benefits.
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