High cholesterol: Claudication may occur affecting your buttocks and the way you walk

This Morning's Dr Chris discusses the signs of high cholesterol

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With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits grow, making it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Sometimes, those deposits can break suddenly and form a clot that causes a heart attack or stroke. If you experience difficulty walking or an unusual sensation in your buttocks, it could be a symptom not to ignore.

The legs are body parts which require higher volumes of oxygen due to physical exertion, which is why the limbs are some of the first to hint at a blockage.

Signs of a blockage include either paleness, numbness or cold legs and feet.

However, occasionally, plaque can build up to the point where the arteries become semi-blocked, causing more severe symptoms.

CardioSmart said on its website: “It’s not until there may be a large blockage of the artery that you might notice something is wrong.”

When this blockage occurs, a rupture may be present causing massive problems, even when they are much smaller and without causing any early symptoms.

Low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) causes irritations and swelling of the walls.

This can reduce or block blood flow through the peripheral arteries, which can lead to retention of fluid in the legs, ankles, feet and even sometimes in the arms and hands.

This swelling occurs when fluid excretes from small blood vessels into nearby tissue, making it swell.

Claudication refers to the pain, aching or fatigue of the muscles of the buttocks, thigh and/or calf that occurs with exertion, explained UC Davis Health.

The health site added: “This pain or cramping is caused by poor circulation due to blockage of the arteries of the lower extremity.

“Claudication may occur in one or both legs, depending on where the blockage occurs.

“The pain is brought on by walking or exercise and disappears with rest.

“Claudication can range from being a mild nuisance to a disabling limitation.”

Symptoms of claudication include:

• Pain in the buttocks, thigh and/or calf, occurring with walking
• Tired or burning sensation in the buttocks, thigh and/or calf with walking.

High cholesterol is tested by your healthcare practitioner with a blood test.

The NHS says that more than two in five people in England have high cholesterol “which puts them at significant risk of developing heart disease”.

The health body adds that around 6.5 million adults in England are currently taking lipid-lowering drugs such as statins.

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