A Florida man’s diet of meat, cheese and butter caused his hands to secrete cholesterol

If you’ve ever wondered why we’re always told to eat in moderation, this recent case study of a man in Florida provides a perfect example. The man’s doctors detailed how his “carnivorous diet” had led to cholesterol levels so high that it literally started seeping out of his body.

Cardiologists at Tampa General Hospital described the strange case in an article published Wednesday at JAMA Cardiology. According to the report, the man visited doctors weeks after he began developing painless but very noticeable “yellowish nodules” coming out of his hands and elbows. As it turned out, his problem was an unusual but known complication of high blood cholesterol, which was probably caused by the man’s diet of meat, cheese and lots of butter.

About eight months before his symptoms appeared, the man, in his 40s, had switched to a so-called carnivorous diet. The diet, he told doctors, required him to consume large amounts of fat. He achieved this by regularly eating six to nine pounds of cheese, copious amounts of butter, and daily hamburgers filled with even more fat. Remarkably, the man reported weight loss, increased energy and improved mental clarity after starting the diet. But unfortunately there were some obvious negative consequences.

Doctors found that his blood cholesterol level exceeded 1,000 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), well above the normal range. For context, healthy blood cholesterol is considered to be less than 200 mg/dL, while high cholesterol starts at over 240 mg/dL. Based on the result and his physical symptoms, doctors diagnosed the man with a rare but well-known condition known as xanthelasma.

xanthelasma are cholesterol deposits that build up under the skin. Normally, excess cholesterol and other fats in our blood are cleared by white blood cells called macrophages. But when this process is disrupted, these macrophages become “foam cells” that are too full of cholesterol; these cells form the deposits that eventually erupt from the skin.

Although there are other medical conditions that cause xanthelasma to appear, such as certain thyroid problems, about half of these cases are related to high blood cholesterol. The man’s case was particularly unusual because these deposits usually form around the eyelids — possibly because the blood vessels in that area weaken over time due to constant blinking. But theoretically, xanthelasma can appear anywhere on our body. The condition is quite rare: research shows appreciated about 1% of women and 0.3% of men develop xanthelasma.

As gross as they look, xanthelasmas are harmless and can be removed through surgery or other cosmetic procedures. High blood cholesterol, on the other hand, is known to increase the risk of future cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and stroke. The doctors did not detail what happened to their patient after the diagnosis, but stressed the need for people to avoid high blood cholesterol.

“This case highlights the influence of dietary patterns on lipid levels and the importance of managing hypercholesterolemia to prevent complications,” they wrote.