A MAN’S hands, feet and elbows were covered in yellow lines and bumps after switching to a carnivore diet.
The unnamed patient, in his 40s, ate only animal products for about eight months before his symptoms started.
This included 6lb (2.7kg) to 9lb (4kg) of cheese, sticks of butter, and “additional fat incorporated into his daily hamburgers”.
The man claimed he had lost weight, more energy, and “improved mental clarity”.
But he also developed painless yellow lesions all over his palms, the soles of his feet, and his elbows.
After three weeks, he visited Tampa General Hospital in Florida, United States, where doctors discovered his cholesterol levels were sky high.
His measured more than 1,000 mg/dL – significantly higher than his baseline (210 to 300 mg/dL) and five times the normal level (below 193 mg/dL).
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood. Everybody needs some to stay healthy.
But too much can lead to serious health problems, like heart attacks and strokes.
If there is an excess, it can clog your arteries – the large blood vessels that carry blood around your body.
Fatty areas can form then harden over time, causing blockages, which puts a strain on your heart and can result in blood clots.
This clogging process, known as atherosclerosis, can lead to coronary heart disease, angina, heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, mini strokes, peripheral arterial disease, and vascular dementia.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”High blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes are all dubbed ‘silent killers’ – should we really be that worried?” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6360301076112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]But high cholesterol can also cause yellow deposits on the skin, known as xanthelasma.
This is most common on the eyelids, but it can occur anywhere on the body.
Doctors said the man’s yellow deposits were consistent with xanthelasma, “likely resulting from severe high cholesterol associated with a high-fat carnivore diet”.
Writing in the journal JAMA Cardiology, they added: “This case highlights the impact of dietary patterns on lipid levels and the importance of managing high cholesterol to prevent complications.”
It’s unclear what treatment the patient received, if any.
The NHS doesn’t usually offer treatment for xanthelasma as it’s considered a cosmetic issue.
But privately, acids, cryotherapy and lasers can be used to reduce its appearance, according to Patient.info.
There are treatments available for high cholesterol generally, but it’s usually possible to lower it naturally with healthy lifestyle changes.
Typically, this involves exercising, eating fewer fatty and highly-processed foods, and consuming more fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, brown rice, wholegrain bread and wholewheat pasta, olive oil, and oily fish like mackerel and salmon.
