High Cholesterol

High cholesterol, which usually has no symptoms, can get worse without your knowledge and lead to serious cardiovascular issues. VirtuaReal Health, a telehealth-only practice, uses remote patient monitoring to guide your high cholesterol treatment with a holistic and integrative approach. To set up a virtual visit with Dina Hobson, MSN, CRNP, ANP-BC, and the Georgia-based team, call VirtuaReal Health or schedule your appointment online today.

What is high cholesterol?

High cholesterol is a health condition that puts you at risk for myriad health complications, particularly involving your cardiovascular system. If a medical professional has ever diagnosed you as having high cholesterol, it’s because they’ve detected abnormally increased levels of the waxy substance in your bloodstream.

Cholesterol can build up into deposits along the sides of your blood vessels. These buildups lessen blood flow, which can raise your blood pressure and put you at a higher risk for a heart attack or stroke. 

However, cholesterol in itself isn’t a bad thing. In moderation, the substance serves an important purpose in your body by helping build healthy cells and tissue. 

How did I get high cholesterol?

When it comes to causes of high cholesterol, some factors are within your control, and others aren’t. The VirtuaReal Health team can go over your medical history and habits to identify any probable contributing factors such as:

Causes you can change

Many behaviors and lifestyle factors can increase your cholesterol and the health risks that come with high cholesterol. You can mitigate your risk by following a healthy diet, avoiding smoking, managing your weight, and increasing your level of physical activity. 

Uncontrollable causes

Your family history may put you at a higher-than-average risk of developing high cholesterol because your genetics dictate many of your body’s functions for eliminating or breaking down excessive cholesterol. 

Certain medical conditions can also increase your levels, such as diabetes, lupus, and chronic kidney disease. 

What does high cholesterol management involve?

As a telehealth practice, VirtuaReal Health specializes in managing health conditions such as high cholesterol from afar. This is where remote patient monitoring comes into play. 

The team encourages you to either check your cholesterol levels at home with a specific kit or device, or to visit a local laboratory that can test your cholesterol levels for you and relay the information to VirtuaReal Health. 

Telecommunication with video calls is necessary so that your provider can go over any cholesterol testing results with you and use them to dictate your treatment. 

The team requires you to plan virtual follow-up appointments so they can check in and go over ongoing blood test results and make sure you’re adhering to your behavior changes and any medications you take. 

For more information on remote monitoring and telehealth for high cholesterol, call VirtuaReal Health or schedule an appointment online today.