Hyperlipidemia - High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance known as a lipid and is vital for the normal functioning of the body. It's mainly made by the liver, but can also be found in some foods.
Having an excessively high level of lipids in your blood (hyperlipidemia) can have an effect on your health.
High cholesterol itself doesn't usually cause any symptoms, but it increases your risk of serious health conditions.
Cholesterol is carried in your blood by proteins. When the two combine, they're called lipoproteins.
The two main types of lipoprotein are:
The amount of cholesterol in the blood both HDL and LDLcan be measured with a Blood tests .
The recommended cholesterol levels in the blood vary between those with a higher or lower risk of developing arterial disease.
Evidence strongly indicates that high cholesterol can increase the risk of:
This is because cholesterol can build up in the artery wall, restricting the blood flow to your heart, brain and the rest of your body. It also increases the risk of a blood clot developing somewhere in your body.
Your risk ofdeveloping coronary heart disease also rises as your blood's cholesterol level increases. This can causepain in your chest or arm during stress or physical activity (angina) .
Many factors can increase your chances of having heart problems or a stroke if you have high cholesterol.
There's also an inherited condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia, which can cause high cholesterol even in someone who eats healthily.
A lower level of HDL can increase your risk of heart disease.
Your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL may also be calculated. This is your total cholesterol level divided by your HDL level. Generally, this ratio should be below four, as a higher ratio increases your risk of heart disease.
However, cholesterol is only one risk factor and the level at which specific treatment is required will depend on whether other risk factors, such as smoking and high blood pressure, are also present.
The first step in reducing your cholesterol is to maintain a healthy, balanced diet . It's important to keep your diet low in fatty food.
You can swap food containing saturated fat for fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals. This will also help prevent high cholesterol returning.
Other lifestyle changes, such as taking regular exercise and giving up smoking (if you smoke), can also make a big difference in helping to lower your cholesterol.
If these measures don't reduce your cholesterol and you continue to have a high risk of developing heart disease, your GP may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication, such as statins .
Your GP will take into account the risk of any side effects from statins , and the benefit of lowering your cholesterol must outweigh any risks.
Find out what cholesterol is, what causes high cholesterol, why it's important to keep your cholesterol levels under control, and how to lower your cholesterol.
Read about the possible causes of high cholesterol, including having an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, being overweight, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol.
Blood cholesterol levels are measured with a simple blood test. This blood sample will be used to determine the amount of LDL, HDL, and triglycerides in your blood.
Find out what to do if you have high cholesterol, including making changes to your diet and increasing the amount of exercise you do. Statins may also be recommended.
You can lower your cholesterol by eating healthily, not smoking and exercising regularly.
Cholesterol is a component found all over your body, playing crucial vital roles. If too much cholesterol accumulates in your blood, you have a higher risk of coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular diseases.The levels of cholesterol in your body vary according to age, gender, and weight.