This guy eats so much butter, cheese, and beef that cholesterol comes out of his skin

What could go Is it wrong to eat a high-fat diet of beef, cheese, and butterfingers? Well, for one thing, your cholesterol levels can reach such stratospheric levels that fat begins to ooze out of your blood vessels, forming yellow nodules on your skin.

That was the disturbing case of a Florida man who showed up at a Tampa hospital with a three-week history of a painless yellow rash on the palms of his hands, the soles of his feet and his elbows. His case was published today in JAMA Cardiology.

The man, said to be in his 40s, told doctors he had adopted a “carnivore diet” eight months ago. His diet included 6 to 9 pounds of cheese, butterfingers, and a daily hamburger that had extra fat built into it. Since he started following this impressive nutritional plan, he claims his weight has dropped, his energy levels have increased, and his “mental clarity” has improved.

Meanwhile, his total cholesterol level exceeded 1,000 mg/dL. For context, the optimal level of total cholesterol is Less than 200 mg/dLWhile 240 mg/dL is considered the “high” threshold. Cardiologists noted that before his high-fat diet, his cholesterol level ranged from 210 mg/dL to 300 mg/dL.

Cardiologists diagnosed the man with xanthelasma, a condition in which excess fats in the blood secrete from the blood vessels and form localized fatty deposits. The escaping fat is usually taken up by circulating white blood cells called macrophages. However, in cases of xanthelasma, the amount of fat is too much for macrophages, which turn into foam cells with excess cholesterol, resulting in visible deposits.

Such deposits are often seen around the eyes (a condition called eyelid xanthelasma), which often affects people with lipid abnormalities, such as familial hypercholesterolemia. It is thought that constant blinking of the eyes over a person’s life can eventually weaken the capillaries in the area, allowing fat to leak out. But, although this may be a more common symptom of the condition, fat deposits can occur anywhere in the body.

Painless yellow nodules were observed on patient A’s palms and elbows. B, Enlarged view of palmar lesions. These lesions are consistent with a xanthomatous condition, which is likely caused by severe hypercholesterolemia associated with a high-fat carnivorous diet.

Image: JAMA Cardiologym 2024, Marmagkiolis et al.

Xanthelasma – especially Xanthelasma palpebrarum – is It is not always associated with high cholesterol And heart risks, but having high total cholesterol is It is strongly associated with coronary heart disease.

The case study does not provide information about the male gaze. However, the authors wrote that the case “highlights the impact of dietary patterns on lipid levels and the importance of managing hypercholesterolemia to prevent complications.”

This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.