High Cholesterol Often Symptomless, Doctor Recommends Routine Checks

A cardiovascular specialist from the Indonesian Association of Cardiovascular Specialists (PERKI), Dr. dr. Susetyo Atmojo, Sp.JP, has reminded the public that high cholesterol generally causes no symptoms, making routine checks essential. “Most high cholesterol is asymptomatic. By the time it is checked, it is already high. If we fail to detect it early, we will only discover high cholesterol when we are about to experience a heart attack or stroke. It is very unfortunate. While heart attacks or strokes are sudden events, the disease itself is preventable,” he said during an educational session held by Daewoong in collaboration with PERKI in Jakarta on Thursday. He explained that this condition means many people are unaware their cholesterol levels are elevated because they experience no specific complaints. Consequently, high cholesterol is often only discovered after a medical check-up or once complications have already arisen. He therefore urged the public not to wait for symptoms to appear before getting their cholesterol levels tested. “If you wait for symptoms, the disease is usually already at an advanced stage. So, regular cholesterol checks are the best way to detect the risk early,” he stated. He added that the examination is not only aimed at determining total cholesterol levels but also LDL levels, which are an important indicator for assessing the risk of heart and blood vessel disease. Besides undergoing routine checks, Susetyo reminded the public to adopt a healthy lifestyle by limiting the intake of saturated and trans fats, exercising regularly, maintaining an ideal body weight, and following prescribed medical treatment if already diagnosed with high cholesterol.