High cholesterol is linked to various manifestations of aortic disease, including aortic stenosis and aneurysm growth.
For example, studies have linked high cholesterol to abdominal aortic aneurysm growth.
Also, a 2015 study found that high cholesterol is associated with ascending aortic dilations in people with bicuspid aortic valves.
Statins are the first line treatment for people with aortic disease and high cholesterol. These medicines can help lower cholesterol, which can help reduce blockages in the arteries and reduce the risk of aneurysm complications.
Examples of statins include atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Altoprev), simvastatin (Zocor, FloLipid) and others.
In addition to statins, are there other ways to help lower cholesterol?
Robust studies have shown psyllium husk may lower cholesterol.
Psyllium husk — or psyllium, for short — comes from the mainly soluble fiber outer shell of the Plantago ovata plant. It’s the primary ingredient in many over-the-counter fiber supplements.
While most over the counter supplements have no medical science backing their use, psyllium is well-studied.
A 2018 meta-analysis of 28 randomized controlled trials including about 1,900 participants found that supplementation with 10 grams of psyllium daily over three weeks led to significant reductions in LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and apoB — a marker that can help determine heart disease risk.
My cardiologist prescribes Atorvastatin for my cholesterol. My gastroenterologist prescribed psyllium for some digestive issues with a fringe benefit that it may also lower my cholesterol.
How do you manage your cholesterol?
For a deep dive, here are links to the information cited today.
A 2020 University of Oxford article on high cholesterol and aortic stenosis.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/…/2020-02-20-research-reveals-link…
A study linking high cholesterol to abdominal aneurysms.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14603421
A study associating cholesterol with ascending aorta dilatation in bicuspid aortic valve patients
https://academic.oup.com/…/articl…/108/10/795/1621617…
The Mayo Clinic prescribes statins as a first line treatment for people with aortic disease who have high cholesterol.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/…/diagnosis…/drc-20350193…)%20and%20others.
An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association on psyllium lowering cholesterol.
https://jamanetwork.com/…/jamai…/article-abstract/609392
Here is a recent Washington Post article on psyllium and lowering cholesterol.