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Cholesterol & Joint Pain

Cholesterol is needed in the body for producing certain hormones and cell membranes. Too much cholesterol, however, raises a person's risk of stroke, heart attack, diabetes and high blood pressure. High cholesterol, and some of its treatment options, may even cause joint pain, adding additional discomfort and stress to an already serious situation.

  1. Significance

    • High cholesterol levels cause plaque to form in the arteries. This leads to the commonly-known host of problems of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure. However, high cholesterol also exerts pressure on the body's joints and impairs circulation, resulting in pain the the muscles, tissues, and joints.

    Treatments

    • Lowering cholesterol levels can be done with diet and exercise. A healthy diet and exercise also assists in joint pain management. The less you weigh, the less stress is placed on your joints. Exercise also increases your flexibility and movement and keeps the joints active and healthy. Both conditions benefit from a healthy diet and exercise.

    Alternative Treatments

    • Alternative treatments for lowering cholesterol include fish oil capsules, garlic, red yeast rice, barley, artichoke extract, and flax seed oil. The Omega-3 fatty acids in fish and flax seed oil, in particular, have been proven to be effective in treating both high cholesterol and the inflammation associated with joint pain.

    Warning

    • Certain prescription medicines used to treat high cholesterol can have adverse side effects that contribute to joint pain. Muscle and joint pain, tenderness and swelling of the joints have been linked to the use of some cholesterol lowering medications. In rare cases, breakdown of the muscular skeleton tissue has been noted.

    Fact

    • One in five Americans has a cholesterol level over the recommended 200 mg/dl. Asians on average have extremely low levels which can attributed to their low fat diet. Diet and exercise can bring down high cholesterol levels and improve related joint pain in just one year's time.

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