Keeping tabs on your cholesterol levels can be a simple way to assess if you're eating healthily or getting enough exercise. But, unless you visit your GP, it's not always straightforward to determine how fit and healthy you truly are. While it's vital to get a blood test if you have health worries, many don't realise that high cholesterol can sometimes be spotted just by looking at someone.
In other words, if you've been indulging in too many takeaways or pints at the pub, you might start to see signs in your face, hands, and legs. Cholesterol build-up in your body is typically due to a diet high in fats, smoking, drinking, lack of exercise, or genetics. If too much of this fatty substance starts to line your blood vessels, it could lead to a blockage resulting in serious health problems like heart attacks and strokes.
READ MORE: Woman on way to Birmingham Airport for family reunion killed by 115mph driver As you get older, the risk of developing high cholesterol increases, with over two-thirds of men and women over 65 diagnosed with high levels during routine health checks. But anyone can develop high cholesterol, whether due to genetic or environmental factors, so being able to spot the symptoms of it building up in your body - just by looking in the mirror - is crucial. While blood tests are the only definitive means of diagnosing high cholesterol, which can otherwise be controlled with diet, exercise and medication, facial cues could potentially betray its presence.
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