The important correction to that headline is: high cholesterol usually has no symptoms. You generally can’t tell from how you feel whether your cholesterol is too high; a blood test (lipid panel) is the way to find out.
In uncommon cases of very high cholesterol, particularly inherited familial hypercholesterolemia, physical signs can occur:
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Xanthomas — yellowish fatty deposits or bumps, often around tendons such as the Achilles tendon or hands.
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Xanthelasma — yellowish cholesterol deposits around the eyelids.
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Corneal arcus — a gray-white ring around the edge of the cornea. It’s more concerning for inherited high cholesterol when it occurs at a young age.
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Chest pain or pressure — this isn’t a symptom of high cholesterol itself, but can indicate coronary artery disease caused by cholesterol-containing plaque.
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Leg pain when walking — similarly, this can occur when cholesterol-related plaque narrows arteries in the legs (peripheral artery disease).
The key point
Don’t wait for symptoms to appear. High LDL cholesterol can quietly contribute to artery plaque for years without causing noticeable symptoms.
If you haven’t had your cholesterol checked recently, ask about a lipid panel, which typically measures LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. If you have chest pressure, sudden shortness of breath, or severe unexplained pain, seek urgent medical care rather than assuming it’s “just cholesterol.”
