Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that the body uses to protect nerves, produce cellular tissues and produce certain hormones. Your liver produces all the cholesterol your body needs. In addition, your body receives cholesterol directly from the foods you consume (such as eggs, meat and dairy products). Too much cholesterol can have adverse health effects.

With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in the blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits increase, making sufficient blood flow into the arteries difficult. Sometimes, these deposits can break suddenly and form a clot that causes a heart attack or a stroke.

Symptoms of High Cholesterol

High cholesterol usually does not cause any symptoms. In most cases it only causes emergency events. For example, a heart attack or stroke can result from high cholesterol damage.

These events do not usually occur until high cholesterol causes plaque formation in the arteries. The plaque can narrow the arteries so that less blood passes. Accumulation of plaque changes the buildup of the arterial lining. This could lead to serious complications.

 The only way to know if your cholesterol is too high is a blood test. This means that it has a total blood cholesterol level of over 240 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dL). Ask your doctor for a cholesterol test after turning 20. Then have your cholesterol checked every 4-6 years.

Your doctor may also suggest that you check your cholesterol more frequently if you have a family history of high cholesterol. Or if the following risk factors are demonstrated:

• High blood pressure
• I'm overweight
• Smoke
• Old age
• You have a close relative (parent or sister) who has had heart disease.
• Being overweight or obese.
• Inactivity.

 

Causes of High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is passed through the blood, attached to proteins. This combination of protein and cholesterol is known as lipoprotein. There are different types of cholesterol, based on what the lipoprotein carries. They are:

Low density lipoprotein (LDL). LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, carries cholesterol particles throughout the body. LDL cholesterol accumulates in the walls of the arteries, making them stiff and narrow.

High density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL, or "good" cholesterol, collects excess cholesterol and brings it back to the liver.

Furthermore, a lipid profile generally measures triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. If you have a high level of triglycerides you can increase your risk of heart disease.

The factors you can control - such as inactivity, obesity and an unhealthy diet - contribute to high cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. Factors outside your control can play a role. For example, your genetic make-up could prevent the cells from effectively removing LDL cholesterol from the blood or causing the liver to produce too much cholesterol.

Risk Factors of High Cholesterol

Poor Diet. The consumption of saturated fats, present in animal products and trans fats, present in some cookies and marketed biscuits and microwave flowers, can increase the cholesterol level. Cholesterol-rich foods such as red meat and high-fat dairy products will also increase cholesterol.

Obesity. If you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, you are at high risk for cholesterol.

Lack of Exercise. Exercise helps to increase the body's HDL or "good" cholesterol, while it increases the size of the particles that make up LDL or "bad" cholesterol, which makes it less harmful.

Smoke. Cigarette smoke damages the walls of blood vessels, making them more prone to the accumulation of fat deposits. Furthermore, smoking can reduce the level of HDL or "good" cholesterol.

Age. As your body's chemistry changes with age, your risk of high cholesterol increases. For example, as we age, the liver becomes less able to eliminate LDL cholesterol.

 Complications of High Cholesterol

High cholesterol can cause dangerous accumulation of cholesterol and other deposits on the walls of the arteries (atherosclerosis). These deposits (plaques) can reduce blood flow through the arteries, which can cause complications, such as:

Chest Pains If the arteries supplying blood to the heart (coronary arteries), you could have chest pain (angina) and other symptoms of coronary heart disease.

Heart Attack If plaque tears or breaks, a blood clot may form at the site of plaque rupture, blocking blood flow or breaking and connecting a downstream artery. If the blood flow on one side of your heart stops, you will have a heart attack.

Stroke. Similar to a heart attack, a stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to a part of the brain.

Diabetes. High blood sugar levels contribute to higher levels of dangerous cholesterol called low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and lower HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar also damages the lining of the arteries.

How to Prevent High Cholesterol

The same changes in your healthy heart lifestyle that can lower cholesterol can help you prevent high cholesterol in the first place. To prevent high cholesterol, you can:

• Follow a low-salt diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Limit the amount of animal fat and use good fats in moderation
• Lose extra pounds and keep a healthy weight
• Stop smoking
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes
• Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all
• Manage stress

Treatment of High Cholesterol

Lifestyle changes, such as exercise and healthy eating, are the first line of defense against high cholesterol. But if you have made these important lifestyle changes and your cholesterol level remains high, your doctor may recommend medications.

Statins. Statins block a substance the liver needs to produce cholesterol. This causes the liver to eliminate cholesterol from the blood. In addition, statins can help your body absorb cholesterol from accumulated deposits on the artery walls, which can reverse coronary heart disease.Choices include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol XL), lovastatin (Altoprev), pitavastatin (Livalo), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor).

Bile-Acid-Binding Resins. Your liver uses cholesterol to produce bile acids, a substance necessary for digestion. The drugs cholestyramine (Prevalit), colesevelam (Welchol) and colestipol (Colestid) indirectly lower cholesterol by binding to bile acids. This causes the liver to use excess cholesterol to produce more bile acids, which lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood.

Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors. The small intestine absorbs cholesterol from the diet and releases it into the bloodstream. The drug ezetimibe (Zetia) helps reduce cholesterol in the blood by limiting the absorption of dietary cholesterol. Ezetimibe can be used in combination with a static drug.

Injectable Drugs. A new class of drugs, known as PCSK9 inhibitors, can help the liver absorb more LDL cholesterol, which reduces the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. Alirocumab (Praluent) and evolocumab (Repatha) could be used for people with a genetic disorder that causes very high levels of LDL or for people with a history of coronary heart disease who are intolerant to statins or other cholesterol drugs.