About twenty five years ago when I visited my opthalmologist I was told that it seemed as if I had cholesterol and should have it checked by my doctor. I was not surprised that I had high cholesterol, because a couple of months earlier I had been told that by my doctor. What did surprise me was that my opthalmologist could tell that just by looking into my eyes!
It turned out that I had “corneal arcus” a thin grey or white ring around the cornea which is actually a deposit of fat and cholesterol in the eye. This, especially when it occurs in younger people is taken as a sign of high cholesterol which should be further investigated.
Of course, as I relate elsewhere, I had borderline high cholesterol for decades and eventually had stents put into my heart to prevent blockages that had occurred from causing a heart attack.
Three years ago, on 1 February I adopted the Esselstyn diet for preventing and reversing heart disease. On this diet (no fish, no meat, no dairy, no oils) which I follow fairly closely, The general evidence is that the cholesterol buildup that has occurred during a lifetime will gradually disappear on this diet.
So, naturally, when I was having my eyes examined yesterday I asked if there was evidence of corneal arcus in my eyes. I was really happy to learn that there was none! This is just yet another benefit from the diet and just another motivation to stay with it.
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