We feel nothing until the blockage becomes enough to cause a problem
Quietly and without warning, excess cholesterol can spend years narrowing the arteries of adults who feel perfectly well — a reminder that some of the most consequential processes in human health unfold entirely beyond our awareness. Dr. Hayan Naser of Murray Bridge Medical Centre offers a measured corrective to the common habit of nodding along when the subject arises and then setting it aside: for those past forty, a simple blood test may be among the most consequential conversations they have with their GP. The body is not the enemy here — cholesterol itself is necessary — but the balance between its forms, and the lifestyle choices that tip that balance, belong to a domain where knowledge genuinely extends lives.
- LDL cholesterol accumulates silently inside artery walls for years, offering no pain, no fever, and no warning before a heart attack or stroke announces the damage already done.
- Adults over forty — especially those who smoke, live sedentarily, carry excess weight, or have a family history of heart disease — face compounding risks that most are not actively monitoring.
- A daily thirty-minute walk, a diet leaning toward plants and lean proteins, and reducing hidden saturated fats in desserts and animal products can meaningfully shift cholesterol levels without medication.
- When lifestyle changes fall short, statins provide a well-tolerated medical option, with doctors starting at low doses and adjusting through follow-up blood work to find the right balance.
- The call to action is immediate and low-barrier: a single GP appointment and a blood test that takes minutes could reframe the health trajectory of the next two decades.
Dr. Hayan Naser of Murray Bridge Medical Centre wants to correct a habit common among adults over forty — hearing the word cholesterol, nodding politely, and moving on. The subject, he argues, deserves more than that.
Cholesterol is not inherently harmful. The liver produces it, and the body depends on it to build cells, repair tissue, and synthesise hormones. The danger lies in imbalance: LDL cholesterol can accumulate inside artery walls, quietly narrowing the channels through which blood flows, while HDL performs the useful work of returning cholesterol to the liver for processing. Most people never learn the distinction.
What makes elevated LDL so insidious is its silence. There is no pain, no fever, no signal that anything is wrong. Dr. Naser notes that the first sign is often chest pain — or a heart attack. A blockage reaching the brain becomes a stroke. By the time symptoms appear, the damage is well underway.
Screening should begin around forty, or earlier for those with a family history of heart disease. Smoking, inactivity, high blood pressure, and obesity all compound the risk. Elevated results typically prompt testing every two years or more often.
The encouraging news is that lifestyle changes can move the numbers significantly. A thirty-minute daily walk helps cycle cholesterol back to the liver. A diet rich in vegetables, lean meat, and fish — and low in saturated fats found in desserts, ghee, and certain animal products — amplifies the effect. When these measures are insufficient, statins offer a safe and generally well-tolerated medical path, with doses adjusted through follow-up blood work.
For anyone over forty who has not yet been tested, Murray Bridge Medical Centre at 35-37 Adelaide Road is open weekdays from eight until five, reachable on 8531 2988. The test takes minutes. What it reveals could reshape the years ahead.
If you've crossed forty, your doctor has probably mentioned cholesterol at least once. Most people nod along and forget about it. Dr. Hayan Naser, who works at Murray Bridge Medical Centre, thinks that's a mistake worth correcting.
Cholesterol itself isn't the villain in this story. Your liver makes it. Your body needs it to build cells, repair tissue, and manufacture hormones. The problem arrives when you have too much of the wrong kind circulating through your bloodstream. There are two main types: LDL, which moves through your body and can accumulate inside artery walls, and HDL, which returns cholesterol to the liver for processing. The distinction matters enormously, though most people never learn it.
What makes excess LDL cholesterol dangerous is its silence. It doesn't announce itself. You won't feel it building up inside your arteries, narrowing the passages where blood flows. There's no fever, no pain, no warning sign that something is going wrong. According to Dr. Naser, the first indication often arrives as chest pain or, worse, a heart attack. Sometimes the blockage travels to the brain and causes a stroke. By then, the damage is already underway.
The medical consensus is straightforward: start getting your cholesterol checked around age forty, earlier if heart disease or stroke runs in your family. Women tend to maintain lower levels longer, sometimes into their fifties, but that advantage doesn't last forever. Other factors increase your risk regardless of age—smoking, a sedentary routine, high blood pressure, obesity. If your GP finds elevated levels, they may recommend testing every two years or more frequently.
The encouraging part is that even people with high cholesterol can improve their numbers without medication. Dr. Naser recommends starting with what he calls conservative approaches: a thirty-minute walk each day helps move cholesterol through your system and back to the liver. Diet matters too. More plants, more vegetables, lean meat, fish. Avoid the polyunsaturated fats hiding in desserts, ghee, and certain animal products. Exercise amplifies these benefits.
When lifestyle changes alone aren't enough, statins enter the picture. These medications are common, generally safe, and well-tolerated by most people. Doctors typically start at a low dose and adjust based on follow-up blood work. Some patients report muscle, jaw, or bone pain, but Dr. Naser notes that if the discomfort is mild and the medication is working, most people continue taking it. Other options exist too—specialists can prescribe regular injections for long-term cholesterol management.
The path forward is simple: if you're over forty and haven't had your cholesterol checked, call your GP. Murray Bridge Medical Centre sits at 35-37 Adelaide Road, open weekdays from eight in the morning until five in the evening. The phone number is 8531 2988. Online, you can find more information through Health Direct or the Heart Foundation. The test itself takes minutes. What you learn from it could reshape the next twenty years of your life.
Citas Notables
We feel nothing until such a time as the blockage becomes enough to cause a problem: chest pain or a heart attack, or moves to the brain and maybe causes a stroke.— Dr. Hayan Naser, Murray Bridge Medical Centre
We try first conservative lifestyle changes, like walking every day for 30 minutes to move cholesterol around the body and back to the liver.— Dr. Hayan Naser
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does cholesterol get such a bad reputation when your body actually needs it?
Because we're terrible at distinguishing between the thing itself and the problem. Cholesterol isn't evil—it's essential. But when LDL accumulates in your arteries, it becomes a silent threat. Most people hear "cholesterol is bad" and stop listening.
The silence seems like the real danger here. You don't feel it happening.
Exactly. An infection makes you sick. You know something's wrong. Cholesterol just sits there, narrowing your arteries, until one day you can't ignore it anymore. By then, the work is already done.
So screening after forty isn't just a suggestion—it's actually preventive medicine.
It's the only way to catch it before it becomes a crisis. You can't feel high cholesterol. A blood test is the only honest answer.
And if someone gets that test and finds elevated levels, they're not locked into medication?
Not at all. Walking thirty minutes a day, eating more plants, moving your body—these things work. Doctors try that first. Statins come later, if needed. And even then, most people tolerate them fine.
What about the people who do experience side effects from statins?
Some feel muscle or bone pain. But Dr. Naser's point is worth hearing: if it's mild and the medication is doing its job, you weigh that against the alternative. A heart attack is worse than sore muscles.
So the real message is: know your numbers, then decide what to do about them.
That's it. You can't make an informed choice if you don't know what you're dealing with. The test is the first step.