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High cholesterol treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

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Talk to a doctor about High Cholesterol treatment online

See a doctor or nurse practitioner today to get a new prescription or refill, at their discretion.

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After your consultation, if you have received a medical diagnosis and prescription for a medication, your prescription can be faxed to the pharmacy of your choice for pick-up or delivered to your home.

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Get your medications delivered to your door anywhere in Canada within 1-3 business days.

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Maple members get 24/7 access to primary care online and more. Our doctors and nurse practitioners are available to see you in minutes, anytime.

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Our network of Canadian-licensed doctors and nurse practitioners is here for you.

Eric Fonberg

Family & ER Physician

Dr. Fonberg, a family and emergency physician with over 30 years of experience, holds an MD from Western University and an MPH from Harvard. He has practiced in various urban and rural settings across Ontario and Canada's Arctic, serving as Chief of Emergency Medicine and Chief of Staff in Toronto hospitals. He lectures at the University of Toronto.

Golbarg Araghi

Family Physician

Dr. Araghi has been practicing medicine for 17 years. She graduated from McGill University medical school in 2002 and completed her family medicine residency at the University of Toronto. She did a fellowship in low risk obstetrics shortly after graduating. She has been practicing since 2004 and has provided care for patients of all ages.

Jonathan Clayton

Family Physician

Dr. Clayton practices family medicine in urban and rural areas, emergency care, and hospital care in New Brunswick. He is also an expedition physician. Dr. Clayton holds a Bachelor of Science with distinction from the University of New Brunswick and a Doctor of Medicine from Memorial University, where he made the Dean's list.

Paul Cusack

Family Physician

Dr. Cusack has been practicing Family Medicine in Charlottetown for the past 15 years. He also works in a busy walk-in clinic two days a week and heads up to the Surgical Assist group at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.

Michael Verbora

Médecin de famille

Dr. Verbora practices family medicine in Toronto, specializing in student health. He holds a BSc from the University of Windsor, an MBA from Odette School of Business, and an MD from the University of Western Ontario. He completed specialty training at Toronto Western Hospital and served as OCFP Chair of the Residents Committee.

Joe Fragapane

Family & ER Physician

Dr. Fragapane practices Emergency and Family medicine for the Cree Nation in James Bay, Quebec, focusing on rural emergency care and pediatrics. He handles complex medical and psychosocial issues in isolated regions. Certified in advanced life support and interested in AI, he teaches at McGill and UQAT. He graduated from McGill in 2012 and 2005.

Mazin Yousif

Family Physician

Dr. Yousif completed medical school in Baghdad, Iraq in 1998. He practiced until 2005 then moved to Canada where he has practiced in Newfoundland from 2007-2009 then Ontario from 2009 until now.

Why Canadians love Maple

A fantastic way to get medical advice when you are unable to see someone in person. The app is so simple to use. Highly recommend. I am not a tech savvy person but the doctor was kind enough to patiently walk me through every step of the process. Thank you.
—Google Play Store

Saved me hours waiting in the ER.
—Vanessa, Trustpilot

Fast and effective tool for getting a diagnosis and prescription.
—Katie, Google Reviews

The doctor willingly took the time to explain things to me.
—Diana, Google Reviews

Very easy to book a therapist and get appointment receipts.
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Frequently asked questions

Maple 101

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Pricing and Payment

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

  • Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
  • Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
  • Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
  • Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
  • iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
  • Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
  • Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
  • Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

Security and Privacy

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

About High Cholesterol

Yes, you can. The doctor will want to discuss your current condition, medical history, as well as any symptoms or signs of high cholesterol that you’re experiencing.

In most cases, the doctor will want to schedule additional testing in order to confirm a diagnosis for high cholesterol, before treatments are suggested.

Yes, our physicians can prescribe medications for high cholesterol online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription for high cholesterol, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or to have it delivered right to your door at no additional cost.

Our bodies produce a natural fatty, waxy substance called cholesterol. It helps our bodies in several ways, including being converted into certain hormones, and helping to build healthy cells.

There are two main types of cholesterol low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol). Too much of any type of cholesterol can be bad. However, people with high HDL levels are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people with high LDL.

High cholesterol levels can cause fatty deposits to form in your blood vessels, a process known as atherosclerosis. If these deposits grow large enough, it can make it difficult for blood to flow through your arteries. It can also cause dangerous clots to form.

Most people won’t experience any symptoms or signs of high cholesterol until there is a very significant narrowing of the arteries caused by atherosclerotic plaques.

In these cases, high cholesterol can cause symptoms, such as pain in the part of the body that isn’t getting enough blood. High cholesterol can also cause symptoms when a plaque gets too big. If it ruptures, blood clots start to form, resulting in a heart attack or stroke. High cholesterol can cause reduced blood flow to the brain, pelvis, legs, arms, heart, or kidneys, and can also lead to conditions, such as:

  • Coronary heart disease
  • Carotid artery disease
  • Peripheral artery disease
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke

There are a number of factors that together contribute to causing high cholesterol. Some of these risk factors include:

  • Obesity
  • Lack of exercise
  • Tobacco use
  • Age
  • Unhealthy diet
  • Diabetes
  • Family history

As well as these factors, genetics are known to cause high cholesterol, since some people naturally produce more cholesterol, or process cholesterol less efficiently.

When you speak to a doctor about signs of high cholesterol, they’ll want to discuss your medical and family histories. They will also want to perform a physical exam, including a blood test.

The most accurate method for providing a diagnosis for high cholesterol is to perform a blood test to check cholesterol levels. This is called a lipid profile or panel.

Your healthcare professional may suggest that you don’t eat or drink anything except water for 8-12 hours prior to your bloodwork. However, this isn’t always required.

Once you’ve received a clear high cholesterol diagnosis, the doctor will be able to suggest appropriate treatments for your high cholesterol.

The best natural treatment for high cholesterol is regularly exercising (at least 150 minutes a week, in a minimum of 10 minute intervals). Also, it’s important to eat a well-balanced diet of healthy foods. The doctor may suggest working with a dietician to help develop a meal plan that will help you maintain better eating habits. However, sometimes good habits aren’t enough to prevent high cholesterol symptoms.

In these situations, the doctor may suggest prescription high cholesterol medications to help reduce your cholesterol levels. Some commonly used medications for high cholesterol include:

  • Bile acid-binding resins
  • Statins
  • Cholesterol absorption inhibitors
  • PCSK9 inhibitors

If you believe you could be showing signs of high cholesterol, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor. Because high cholesterol symptoms rarely appear, and often only after cholesterol is dangerously high, you should report signs of high cholesterol right away.

As we age, the risks of high cholesterol increase, especially if you fall into additional risk categories. It’s important to regularly get your cholesterol checked as you get older. This way you can seek treatments for high cholesterol early, before it reaches dangerous levels.

In some cases, you may require prescription high cholesterol medications in order to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol in your blood.

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Maple is safe and effective for common non-emergency issues. If you believe you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 or proceed to your nearest emergency room.