High Cholesterol

There are a lot of people who have high cholesterol, which is a serious condition that could lead to severe complications.

High cholesterol

High cholesterol means that there is a high rate of fats (lipids) in the blood. Normally, the liver synthesizes cholesterol, which is necessary to make healthy cells and helps in the digesting process. However, cholesterol also comes from food, and consuming high amounts of it can cause serious health conditions.

The normal number of total blood cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL.

There are three types of cholesterol:

• High-density lipoprotein (HDL): It’s called the good cholesterol because it takes the cholesterol to the liver in order to dispose of it. The best number to have of HDL is at least 60 mg/dL.
• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL): It’s called the bad cholesterol because it causes the cholesterol to build up in the blood vessel and form a plaque (hardened cholesterol) that clogs that blood vessel. The best number to have of LDL is less than 100 mg/dL.
• Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL): it’s a bad cholesterol as well because it holds triglycerides that are added to the plaque.

There is also a type of fat that isn’t a type of cholesterol called triglycerides, which could also lead to serious complications when it’s higher than normal. The best number to have of triglycerides is less than 150 mg/dL.

Causes and risk factors leading to high cholesterol

• The most common cause of high cholesterol is an unhealthy lifestyle that includes eating a lot of foods that are high in saturated fats and not doing enough physical activity.
• Genetic factors.
• Stress.
• Certain health conditions, such as overweight and obesity, chronic kidney disease, pancreas disease, chronic liver disease, hypothyroidism, diabetes, sleep apnea, polycystic ovary syndrome, primary biliary cholangitis, multiple myeloma, and HIV.
• Certain medications, such as diuretics, beta-blockers, steroids, hormonal birth control, and antivirals for HIV.
• Some factors increase the risk of hyperlipidemia, such as smoking, unhealthy lifestyle, alcohol, and aging.

Symptoms of high cholesterol

• High cholesterol doesn’t cause symptoms in general.
• People who have genetic high cholesterol that causes very high blood cholesterol levels might have fatty plaques on the skin (xanthomas) or cholesterol rings around the iris of the eye (corneal arcus).

Complications of high cholesterol

If not managed, high cholesterol can lead to severe complications, such as:

• Angina.
• Heart attack.
• Stroke.
• Coronary heart disease.
• Peripheral artery disease.
• Sudden cardiac arrest.
• Carotid artery disease.
• Microvascular disease.

Diagnosis of high cholesterol

• Physical exam.
• Blood tests.
• Family and medical history.

Treatment of high cholesterol

• Changing the lifestyle to a healthier one.
• If the healthy lifestyle isn’t enough, the patient will have medications to lower the high cholesterol.

Prevention of high cholesterol

Hyperlipidaemia can be prevented by:

• Eating a healthy diet.
• Exercising regularly.
• Avoiding smoking.
• Managing stress.
• Sleeping enough.
• Having a healthy weight.
• Limiting the amounts of foods that contain saturated and trans fats.