If you have high cholesterol, here's the care you can't ignore in this heat

Para who has been diagnosed with high cholesterol, the hottest summer days can be a risk. According to doctor endocrinologist Adriana Pessoa, heat increases “exposure to factors that can raise cholesterol”. 

It is also during the summer that there is usually the consumption of fatter foods, especially during the holiday period, as well as the consumption of alcoholic beverages, which contributes to dehydration, which consequently favors the increase in levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). 

Adriana Pessoa also highlights that higher temperatures may lead to dehydration, something that “difficults blood circulation and increases blood viscosity, favoring the formation of fat plaques in the arteries”.

Dehydration can also cause variations in blood pressure, thus representing another risk factor. 

Thus, people with high cholesterol should have extra attention on hotter days, always trying to stay hydrated. 

Cholesterol in summer: endocrinologist tips

On the subject, the doctor leaves several advices for the hottest summer days. 

• Eat in a balanced way: it is important to include in your diet foods rich in fiber, favoring fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which “help to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine”;
• Prefer healthy fat: foods such as fish, avocado and olive oil contain good fats and therefore helps increase good cholesterol (HDL);
• Avoid processed foods: sausages, fried foods and other fat-rich foods should be avoided as long as possible in hot days;
• Exercise: Exercise helps reduce “bad” cholesterol and promotes “good” increase;
• Hydrate: It is important to remain hydrated, so water consumption is recommended throughout the day. 

Survive Heat: More Important Recommendations

In declarations to Lifestyle to Minute, the general practitioner António Hipólito de Aguiar, also president of the Portuguese delegation of the Associação Médicos do Mundo, drew attention to another relevant issue: that of taking medicines in very hot days. 

“ Some medicines may hinder the regulation of body temperature or even favor dehydration. Among the most relevant are diuretics, which increase fluid loss; some medicines for hypertension; certain antidepressants and antipsychotics, which can reduce the capacity for perspiration; some antihistamines and drugs with anticholinergic effect”, explains António Hipólito de Aguiar. 

Read the full interview below: