Does High Cholesterol Make You Tired? Real Causes and When to See a GP (UK)

Can high cholesterol make you tired?

High cholesterol on its own is not a known cause of tiredness. Cholesterol is a fatty substance in your blood, and too much of it can block your blood vessels over time, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke. The NHS says it does not usually cause symptoms, which is why so many people only find out from a routine blood test.

So if you feel drained, it’s worth looking for the real cause rather than putting it down to your cholesterol number. These are the healthy levels the NHS gives for adults:

iThe NHS says your own target depends on your age, other health conditions and your risk of heart disease, so ask your GP what your numbers mean for you. For how stress fits in, see does stress cause high cholesterol?

What else causes tiredness when you have high cholesterol?

iSeveral common causes of tiredness either raise cholesterol or tend to turn up alongside it. A GP can check most of them with a blood test or a few questions.

Statins

If you started a statin and then felt tired, the medicine may be part of it: the NHS lists feeling more tired or weaker than usual, muscle pain and sleep problems among the common side effects. Never stop a statin on your own: your GP can change the dose or try a different one. See do statins make you tired? and, for the CoQ10 question, CoQ10.

Underactive thyroid

An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) slows the body down. The NHS lists tiredness, feeling cold, weight gain, constipation and low mood among its symptoms, and the British Thyroid Foundation lists raised cholesterol too. A simple blood test checks it. See underactive thyroid symptoms.

Type 2 diabetes

The NHS lists feeling very tired, peeing more than usual, feeling thirsty all the time and losing weight without trying as common symptoms, but says not everyone with type 2 diabetes has symptoms. See does diabetes make you tired?

Sleep apnoea and weight

Sleep apnoea is when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep. It’s linked with obesity and leaves you very tired in the day, and without treatment it can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease. If someone says you snore loudly or stop breathing at night, see sleep apnoea and a GP.

Low iron, low vitamin B12, poor sleep and low mood are other common causes worth ruling out. See iron deficiency symptoms, vitamin B12 deficiency and, for the bigger picture, why am I always tired?

Does familial hypercholesterolaemia cause tiredness?

No. Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is an inherited condition that causes very high cholesterol from birth, but it doesn’t cause tiredness or usually any symptoms. The British Heart Foundation says it affects about 1 in 250 people, around 270,000 people in the UK, and many don’t know they have it.

Rarely, FH causes visible signs: lumps around the knuckles, knees or Achilles tendon, a pale white ring around the coloured part of the eye, or small yellow patches near the eyelids. If you’re diagnosed, the BHF says your parents, brothers and sisters and children should be checked too, because each has a 1 in 2 chance of having it. If heart disease runs young in your family, ask your GP about a test.

Can tiredness be a sign of heart problems?

Sometimes. Over years, high cholesterol can narrow the arteries and lead to coronary heart disease, whose most common symptoms the NHS gives as chest pain (angina) and breathlessness. Heart failure, which can follow long-term strain from coronary heart disease or high blood pressure, lists feeling weak, light-headed or very tired, particularly after moving, as a symptom.

iTiredness with breathlessness, chest pain or swollen ankles needs a GP appointment, not a wait-and-see. High blood pressure often sits alongside high cholesterol: see normal blood pressure and does high blood pressure make you tired?

How do I find out if I have high cholesterol?

With a blood test. The NHS says ask your GP surgery for a cholesterol test if you’ve not had one before and you’re over 40, overweight, or high cholesterol or heart problems run in your family. Most people don’t need to fast first. Some pharmacies offer tests too, but you may have to pay.

If you’re 40 to 74 and don’t already have heart disease, diabetes or a stroke, the free NHS Health Check includes a cholesterol test and a blood pressure test, and you should be invited every 5 years. If you’re tired as well, mention it: the GP may add other blood tests, such as thyroid, blood sugar and iron.

What to do if you’re tired with high cholesterol

1. Don’t blame the number. Ask your GP to look for a cause of the tiredness, especially if it has lasted a few weeks.
2. Keep taking your medicine. If you think a statin is making you tired, speak to your GP or pharmacist rather than stopping it.
3. Move more. The NHS suggests at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week to help lower cholesterol, and regular activity tends to help energy too.
4. Eat for your heart. The NHS advises less saturated fat (fatty meat, butter, cakes) and more oily fish, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables. See high fibre foods and omega 3.
5. Cut back on alcohol and stop smoking. The NHS says not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week, and smoking can raise cholesterol. See alcohol and sleep.
6. Protect your sleep. If you sleep 8 hours and still wake tired, see tired after 8 hours of sleep.

When to see a GP or get urgent help

Supplements with high cholesterol: check first

No supplement fixes tiredness caused by an illness or a medicine, and none replaces cholesterol treatment. If you take a statin or other regular medicines, tell your GP or pharmacist about any supplements or herbal remedies before you start them. Evopure doesn’t sell cholesterol medicines or cholesterol supplements.

CBD: we don’t suggest CBD for anyone taking regular medicines without advice. The FSA advises people taking any medication not to take CBD unless under medical direction. See can CBD interact with medication?

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Our Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex isn’t suggested here: its pack says it isn’t for people on medication. For how much magnesium adults need, see how much magnesium per day.

iIf you take any regular medicines, check with your GP or pharmacist first. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding. For adults (18+) only.