Symptoms of high cholesterol usually are rare. High cholesterol levels are generally identified from a blood test. The symptoms seen are actually from the end-result of high cholesterol for health issues such as coronary disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. People with severely elevated cholesterol may have fat deposits in tendons and skin (called xanthomas), liver and spleen enlargement (that the doctor will feel on exam), and abdominal pain if pancreatitis develops. However, unless your cholesterol is severe, the only way to know if your cholesterol levels are within desirable ranges is to have your blood tested. Have your cholesterol checked regularly, and take preventive steps to avoid the complications of high cholesterol. To learn about blood cholesterol testing, click next below. Elevated cholesterol levels in the body as such do not produce any major symptoms or signs, but leads to the development of serious disorders like Atherosclerotic heart disease, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, gallstones etc. Blockage of the coronary arteries in the heart by cholesterol deposition leads to coronary insufficiency, ischaemia (decreased oxygen supply to the muscles of the heart) and this eventually results in myocardial infarction (heart attack). Cholesterol constitutes a large part of the most frequently occurring type of gallstones. Very high levels of cholesterol lead to skin changes like xanthelesma near the eyes. The lack of symptoms until the complications occur necessitates periodic monitoring of lipid profiles in all individuals. Some people with lipid disorders, such as familial hypercholesterolemia, may have other distinct symptoms such as deposits of excess cholesterol that collect in the skin or eyelid tissue. These cholesterol deposits can also cause nodules in tendons in the hands or feet or, rarely, yellow streaks in the hands. Blood cholesterol levels in both men and women begin to go up around age 20. Women before menopause have levels that are lower than men of the same age. After menopause, a women s LDL-cholesterol level goes up--and so her risk for heart disease increases. For both men and women, heart disease is the number one cause of death. It is important to find out what your cholesterol numbers are because lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessens the risk for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of a heart attack or dying of heart disease, even if you already have it. Cholesterol lowering is important for everyone--younger, middle age, and older adults; women and men; and people with or without heart disease. More symptoms of High Cholesterol: In addition to the above information, to get a full picture of the possible symptoms of this condition and its related conditions, it may be necessary to examine symptoms that may be caused by complications of High Cholesterol, underlying causes of High Cholesterol, associated conditions for High Cholesterol, risk factors for High Cholesterol, or other related conditions.