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High Cholesterol

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What is High Cholesterol?

Your body needs cholesterol to function, to build cell membranes, form hormones and more. Your body converts some of the fats that you eat into cholesterol. But too much of certain kind of “bad cholesterol,” or LDL, can contribute to atherosclerosis—a buildup of fatty deposits on the walls of arteries—and lead to heart disease.

At the same time, another kind of cholesterol, HDL, helps remove cholesterol from the body, so it’s known as “good cholesterol.”

A high level of cholesterol, by itself, doesn’t cause any symptoms. Since you can't tell on your own whether you have unhealthy levels of cholesterol, it’s important to have cholesterol levels checked by your doctor on a regular basis.

Treatments for High Cholesterol

Heart disease remains the number one killer in the U.S., and the best way to beat it is to prevent it. University of Rochester Medicine Preventive Cardiology Program offers the most advanced, proven methods for preventing heart disease and enjoying a healthy lifestyle.

The first of its kind in the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding region, our program features

Support in quitting smoking.
The Women’s Heart Program.
Diet and exercise programs to help you lose weight and reduce your risk.
Heart disease prevention for the whole family, including high-risk relatives.
Research and access to the most advanced approaches for preventing heart disease.

Lifestyle modification. The doctors and Advance Practice Providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) at UR Medicine Cardiac Care can help you control unhealthy levels of cholesterol through exercise and diet.

Medications. Several medications are effective at reducing levels of cholesterol, including statins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, and bile-acid binding resins as well as non-statin drugs such as PCSK9 inhibitors.

What Sets Us Apart?

URochester Medicine Cardiac Care offers the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding region's only Lipid Clinic, where our providers specialize in treating patients with high cholesterol and high triglycerides. Our experts offer the most advanced treatments available, including LDL Apheresis for patients with very high levels of LDL cholesterol.

Our clinic offers specialized tests to pinpoint the source of high cholesterol levels and other diseases. We offer blood tests which reveal a more precise understanding of different types of cholesterol in your blood, including cholesterol particles of different sizes and densities.

Because we’re part of the leading academic health system in Upstate New York, the care we provide you is informed by the latest research. Our experts will work with you to find the best treatment plan for your condition. We also offer nutritionists who craft personalized diets to help lower cholesterol levels.