Symptoms of high cholesterol

High cholesterol is not a disease in itself, but it is linked to
serious conditions, such as cardiovascular conditions (disease of the
heart and blood vessels), angina, stroke, and mini stroke, known as
transient ischaemic attack (TIA). A high level of cholesterol in your
blood, together with a high level of triglycerides, can increase your
risk of developing coronary heart disease.
Coronary heart disease is caused by narrowing of the arteries that
supply the heart with blood. This narrowing of the arteries is called
atherosclerosis. Fatty deposits, such as cholesterol, cellular waste
products, calcium and other substances build up in the inner lining of
an artery. This build up, known as plaque, usually affects small and
medium sized arteries. The flow of blood through the arteries is
restricted as the inside diameter is reduced. Blood clots, which often
happen in the coronary arteries during a heart attack, are more likely
to develop when arterial walls are roughened by the build up of fatty
deposits.
A high cholesterol level may only be revealed if you have symptoms of atherosclerosis. These can include:

• angina, caused by narrowed coronary arteries in the heart,
  
• leg pain on exercising, due to narrowing of the arteries that supply the lower limbs,
  
• blood clots and ruptured blood vessels, which can result in a stroke or mini-stroke (transient ischaemic attack (TIA)),
  
• ruptured plaques, which can lead to a blood clot
  forming in one of the arteries delivering blood to the heart (coronary
  thrombosis), and may lead to heart failure if a significant amount of
  heart muscle is damaged, and
  
• thick yellow patches (xanthomas) around the eyes
  or elsewhere on the skin. These are cholesterol deposits and can often
  be seen in people with inherited, or familial cholesterol (where your
  family members have a history of high chloresterol).