High cholesterol and eye health

When you think about the impact of high cholesterol, you probably think of how it affects your heart health. But did you know that high cholesterol can also impact our eyes and eyesight?

Learn more about the link between high cholesterol and eye health and how a simple eye check could help you pick up on potential health problems.

Before we talk about how high cholesterol¹ can impact your eye health, it’s important to know that there are different types of cholesterol in the body, and they’re not all bad for us.

In fact, HDL cholesterol, which is produced in the liver and small intestine is essential for flushing out bad cholesterol and keeping us healthy.

Bad or LDL cholesterol is the stuff you don’t want. LDL cholesterol, which is also produced naturally in the body, can become excessive due to things like a lack of exercise, smoking and a diet high in saturated and trans fats, think deep fried and ultra processed meats and other foods.

LDL cholesterol can cause a fatty substance called plaque to build up in your arteries which makes it harder for your heart to pump blood around the body.

“Similarly, too much LDL cholesterol can also impact eye health because it can cause blockages in the blood vessels that transport blood to the eye,” says Karen Makin, Head Optometrist at Bupa.

Cholesterol can affect your eye health² in several ways.

Appearing as flat or slightly raised yellow-ish areas of skin around the eyes and nose, xanthelasmas are linked to high cholesterol.

This is more common in women; other risk factors include:

• Being overweight or obese
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes.

Xanthelasmas do not impact vision.

Presenting as a blue, white or light grey ring around the iris (coloured part of your eye), arcus senilis is a discolouration but does not impact your ability to see. Common in older men, the condition can affect anyone, and family history can increase risk. When it appears in young people it is almost always caused by high cholesterol.

When the retinal vein and retinal artery become blocked due to high cholesterol, it can cause a condition like a stroke in the eye. Swelling occurs which is caused by blood and fluid in the retina.

“Unlike a stroke in the brain, retinal vein occlusions aren’t painful or immediately obvious,” says Karen. “People will usually notice there has been a change to their vision as the first sign, either a cloudiness or a slight red or brown tinge due to the haemorrhage.”

Symptoms include:

• blurred vision
• change in vision
• floaters in vision
• pain in the eye.

This condition can cause nerve cells in the eye to die which can cause or worsen affected vision. It’s important to reduce cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure to lessen the risk of another retinal vein occlusion.

“Sometimes vision comes back as the underlying condition is treated,” says Karen. “If the damage is permanent, which is quite often, people may see some improvement over time.”

Most common in people over 50 years of age, those with diabetes and glaucoma and people with high cholesterol, treatment can include injections or laser therapy.³

If you notice any change in your vision, it’s important to see your GP or ophthalmologist immediately.

Equally any pain, swelling or discharge from the eye should be investigated by your GP.

“If you start to see raised yellow bumps around the eye or see a blueish-grey circle around the coloured part of the eye, this may indicate high cholesterol and it’s important to get that checked,” says Karen.

While xanthelasmas do not cause any change to your vision, the impact on your appearance may be distressing to some. A dermatologist may be able to recommend laser treatment or surgical removal.

“It’s worth noting that people may have high cholesterol and see no symptoms so getting regular eye and health checks with your optometrist and GP is still the right thing to do,” says Karen.

It’s recommended that healthy adults over the age of 40 get annual or bi-annual eye health checks, both to help detect any eye health issues and protect vision as we age.⁴

People over the age of 65, and those who have diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of eye disease may need to get checked more regularly.

A general eye health check with your optometrist will identify any issues early on and help prevent more serious or long-term conditions.

“A routine eye health check examines all the different parts of the eye and we are looking for any sign of unusual changes that may indicate a health issue,” says Karen.

“The eye is the only part of the body where we can see blood vessels without cutting anyone open, so eye health checks are a great way to stay on top of your health.”

It is important for your eye health and your overall wellbeing to keep your cholesterol in check.

The best ways to do this include:

• Not smoking
• Regular exercise
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Eating a diet low in trans and saturated fats.

If you are concerned about high cholesterol, ask your GP about testing and ways to manage cholesterol at home.

You can look after your general eye health by:

• Getting annual or bi-annual eye health checks
• Wearing sunglasses in bright sunlight
• Wearing protective eyewear when needed
• Eating a well-balanced diet rich in vitamins and nutrients
• Taking regular breaks from screens
• Spending time outside.

Talk to your GP or optometrist about any concerns you have about high cholesterol or eye health.