Cholesterol Treatment

Steven Kamara, MD Our Services Cholesterol Treatment
Steven Kamara, MD - - Primary Care Physician

Steven Kamara, MD

Primary Care Physician located in Beverly Grove, Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Steven Kamara is a practical choice for many residents in the Los Angeles area and treats those living with high cholesterol. Dr. Kamara provides lifestyle changes and treatment options for those who have higher than normal levels of the substance in their blood.

Cholesterol Treatment Q & A

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a naturally occurring substance produced by the body and found in foods. The waxy texture causes fatty deposits to form in the bloodstream when there is too much cholesterol in your body. This fat thickens the blood, making it difficult for it to flow freely through the arteries. As cholesterol levels increase, blood flow to critical organs like the brain decreases, putting you at risk for complications like stroke or heart attack.

Cholesterol combines with a protein to from lipoproteins. There are three types of lipoproteins:

  • Low-density (LDL) – This is what the media often calls “bad” cholesterol
  • Very-low-density (VLDL)– This is triglycerides that cause blood vessels to narrow leading to heart disease
  • High-density (HDL) – “Good” cholesterol that helps remove fatty deposits from the blood

What is high cholesterol?

Hypercholesterolemia, or high cholesterol, means you have high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL in your blood. Risk factors include:

  • Genetics – High cholesterol tends to run in families
  • Lack of exercise
  • Obesity
  • Unhealthy, fat-laden diet

What are the treatment options?

Improving one's lifestyle will be the first thing addressed when examining high cholesterol.  It is critical that those living with high cholesterol exercise and eat right, reduce the amount of saturated fat in their diet, eliminate trans fat completely, consume no more than 300 mg. of cholesterol a day or less if living with a contributing chronic problem such as heart disease.

The doctor may also prescribe medication to help cholesterol levels. Statins, for example, block the liver from manufacturing cholesterol. There are medications that prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol from food, as well. In some cases, the drug protocol includes both of these two cholesterol treatment options. 

Major Insurance Providers Accepted

We accept major PPO plans including Blue Shield, Blue Cross and CIGNA as well as United Healthcare and Medicare fees for service only. We also offer affordable options for those without insurance or for those with high deductibles required with their insurance plans. We are not on network with any HMO plans or medi-cal. Below is a short-list of just some of the plans we accept. Please contact our office with any questions.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Cross
Blue Shield
Caterpillar
Cigna
Health Net
Medicare
UnitedHealthcare
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield