Are ‘Cholesterol Hands’ Real? Man’s Extreme Carnivore Diet Led to Lesions

It started as an attempt to lose weight by cutting out carbs. A man who told doctors he followed an “extreme carnivore diet” for eight months was admitted to a Florida hospital when cholesterol visually appeared on his body. Keep reading for the full story and to learn about the condition. 

Cholesterol manifested on the man’s hands 

A man, who has only been identified as being in his 40s, told doctors he ate 6-9 pounds of butter, cheese and hamburgers every day for eight months—and nothing else— when he arrived at Tampa General Hospital with “yellowish nodules” of cholesterol developing on his palms, soles and elbows, according to the journal JAMA Cardiology. 

During those eight months, the man says he completely cut out all carbohydrates, including bread and sugar. He said he originally felt in great health, lost weight, became more energetic and had more mental clarity. 

Then, he started developing yellow lesions on his eyelids, the report said. Over the next month, the yellow lesions began to spread. 

Everything to know about xanthelasma

Doctors ultimately diagnosed the patient with having xanthelasmas, harmless yellow skin growths that appear on or by the corners of the eyelids next to the nose. It’s caused by cholesterol deposits building up under the skin, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

While xanthelasmas are the most common form of xanthoma (cholesterol deposits) that affect the skin, it is generally a rare condition affecting only about 1 percent of people, and only 50 percent of that population have high cholesterol. 

Healthcare providers usually see these levels in people with genetically high cholesterol or some liver diseases, the clinic says. Other risk factors for xanthelasma include being:

• Assigned female at birth 

• Or a family history of high cholesterol or xanthelasma.

While xanthelasmas can occur anytime in your adult life, most people get them between the ages of 35 and 55.

Konstantinos Marmagkiolis, MD, FACC, FSCAI, an interventional cardiologist with Tampa Heart, Tampa General Hospital and USF Health co-authored the study on the patient. He told Fox 13 Tampa Bay the lesions are not painful, but the amount of cholesterol needed to produce them is alarming. 

Dr. Marmagkiolis explained the patient checked his cholesterol levels every year for five years before his diet and they remained within a normal range. However, his cholesterol suddenly increased fivefold after he followed the extreme carnivore regimen. 

Can xanthelasma be treated?

Dr. Marmagkiolis says there is no treatment or medication for xanthelasma, Fox 13 reports. He says that even if the cholesterol is treated, the xanthelasma remains. 

While there are a few potential therapies a dermatologist can perform to mitigate the appearance, it’s important for doctors to recognize the lesions as a marker of potentially high cholesterol, he explains. 

This is because xanthelasma could be the body’s first signal that it can no longer process cholesterol, and it may start to deposit it in the body. Over time, atherosclerosis can occur when cholesterol, fat, blood cells and other substances in your blood form plaque in the walls of arteries. 

The dangers of an extreme carnivore diet 

While the carnivore diet may be helpful for weight loss and other health benefits, eating excessive amounts of fat can result in an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL)—or “Bad” cholesterol— that may deposit both under the skin and other parts of the body, raising the risk of heart attack or stroke.  

Dr. Marmagkiolis says you can still limit carbs without experiencing similar side effects. He advises progressively easing into a low-carb diet and then moving on to a more balanced diet.

If you decide to follow the carnivore diet for a long period of time, he suggests working with a doctor or cardiologist to regularly monitor your cholesterol levels.

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This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.