High cholesterol is often called a “silent killer” because it can go unnoticed. There are people who suffer from it without knowing it, and it is precisely this ability to remain hidden that makes it a particularly dangerous risk factor for cardiovascular health.

Organizations such as the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree that the main reason this condition is not usually quickly detected is the absence of symptoms.

Unlike other conditions such as high blood pressure (which, although also frequently asymptomatic, can cause headaches and dizziness), or diabetes (which often causes excessive thirst or frequent urination), high cholesterol produces no physical symptoms. There is no pain, swelling, unexplained fatigue, or any other sign to suggest the presence of an abnormality.

Although someone with this condition may go for decades without experiencing any symptoms, “bad cholesterol” accumulates year after year, with marked health implications.

Remember that cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that, when found in very high levels, forms layers of plaque (Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL)) that gradually clog the walls of the arteries, giving rise to a condition known as atherosclerosis. It should be noted that these plaque deposits also do not cause perceptible discomfort as they form.

Symptoms appear when the damage is severe

Once the obstruction to the arteries is considerable and there are signs of cardiovascular disease, symptoms appear that are a consequence of the damage that high cholesterol has caused in the body.

"At first, a person feels normal when they have high cholesterol, but after a while, the accumulation of plaque can slow or stop blood flow to the heart or brain," say experts from the Cleveland Clinic.

When blood or oxygen flow to vital organs is interrupted, various complications arise, including the following:

High cholesterol is detected with a blood test

In the absence of symptoms, the most reliable way to know if a person has high cholesterol is through a blood test, specifically a test called a lipid profile (or lipid panel). This test measures the levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Regarding when to have this test for the first time, the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) recommend that adults without known risk factors have their first lipid profile starting at age 20.

Similarly, specialists suggest taking several factors into account for the early detection of high cholesterol. These include:

Medical and family history: Informing your doctor about any family history of high cholesterol or premature heart disease is vital. This may warrant earlier or more frequent screening.

Global cardiovascular risk assessment: Your doctor not only evaluates your lipid profile numbers but also considers other risk factors, such as:

All of these factors are combined to calculate your overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years or over your lifetime, which helps determine how aggressively to screen and treat.