AHHA

High Blood Cholesterol

High Blood Cholesterol

What is High Blood Cholesterol?

To understand high blood cholesterol we need to understand what cholesterol is. 

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a type of waxy, fat that is found in the outer layer of every cell of the body.  Cholesterol is produced by the liver and is crucial for normal body functioning and has many functions. For example body needs it to make hormones, vitamin D, and is important component for the manufacture of bile acids which is used in the digestion process.

Cholesterol travels through the blood in small packages called lipoproteins. And these lipoproteins are made of lipids which are a kind of fat and protein which keep the cholesterol separated from mixing with blood. There are particularly two types of lipoproteins which carry cholesterol throughout the body. They are:

  • Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, is called “bad” cholesterol): A high level of LDL leads to buildup of cholesterol in the arteries.
  • High-density lipoproteins (HDLs, is called “good” cholesterol): HDL transports excess cholesterol out of the bloodstream and bring it into liver, where it is destroyed or recycled.

Also cholesterols come to the body from the food that we consume typically found only in animal products.

High Blood Cholesterol:

High blood cholesterol is a condition in which the presence of cholesterol level is too much in the blood. High blood cholesterol doesn’t usually have its own signs or symptoms. So in many cases people are unaware of the cholesterol level.

The condition is a major risk factor for the development of coronary heart diseases (CHD). If the LDL cholesterol level is high then the chance of getting CHD is more. But if the HDL cholesterol level is high then the chance of getting CHD is less.

The cholesterol is the contributing factor for plaque buildup inside the coronary arteries. When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis which causes CHD and further CHD can lead to angina, a heart attack, or a stroke.

Also cholesterol not only accumulate in the coronary arteries but also in other arteries in the body such as carotid arteries which is located on each side of your neck and provide the main blood supply to the brain. It can also lead to problem such as carotid artery disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.).

High blood cholesterol is also known as hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia.

Causes of High Blood Cholesterol

There are many factors which can affect the cholesterol level. However there are some factors which can be controlled and there are some which cannot be controlled.

Uncontrollable Factors

Heredity: A specific genetic defect causes high cholesterol levels in the blood. This condition is called familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and is an inherited condition which begins with birth. FH cause a very high level of LDL cholesterol. Siblings and children of a person with FH have a 50 per cent risk of getting the defect. However children and grandchildren of family members who don't have the defect are not at risk from FH. This condition may leads to an early development of CHD and can cause an early heart attack.

Age and Gender: In both men and women, blood cholesterol starts going up after age 20.As people age, the LDL cholesterol levels often raise. Until age of 45, men tend to have higher total cholesterol levels than women do, and women tend to have higher HDL levels.

After menopause, a woman's LDL level tends to go up, and her HDL level goes down. In men, blood cholesterol level starts to decrease slightly at the age of about 65.

Controllable Factors

Food: Various foods which come from animal sources contain cholesterol. Fats contained in those foods are one of the factors which contribute in raising cholesterol level in the blood. Limiting foods with cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fats can help you control your cholesterol levels.Especially trans fats raise the LDL cholesterol level and lower the HDL cholesterol level.

Some example of food to reduce or avoid such assome meat, dairy products, chocolate, baked food, deep- fried and processed food.

Physical Activity: Being physically inactive increase the risk of being overweight. Regular exercise or physical activities for thirty minutes for most of the days of a week can greatly improve healthy.  Exercise can help to burn those calories which you consume through food.

Weight: Being overweight tends to raise the LDL level and lower the HDL level. Also being obese is the risk for dozens of diseases and conditions.

Symptoms of High Blood Cholesterol

High blood cholesterol doesn’t usually have its own signs or symptoms. So in many cases people are unaware of the cholesterol level. As blood cholesterol starts going up after age 20. So check at least once every 5 years.

Diagnosis of High Blood Cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is diagnosed by checking the cholesterol levels in the blood. A blood test called a lipoprotein panelor lipid profile is used to measure the blood cholesterol levels.

For accurate result it is better to fast (not eat or drink anything but water) for 9 to 12 hours before the blood sample is been taken.

The lipoprotein panelor lipid profile gives report about:

  • Total cholesterol: It is a measure of the total amount of LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol in the blood
  • LDL cholesterol: It is also called as “bad” cholesterol.
  • HDL cholesterol: It is also called as “good” cholesterol.
  • Triglycerides: It is a type of fat also found in blood.

Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood. The tables below show total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels and their corresponding categories.

Chart 1: Total Cholesterol Level

Total Cholesterol  Level

Category

Below 200 mg/dL

Best

200-239 mg/dL

Borderline high

240 mg/dL and above

High

Chart 2: LDL Cholesterol Level

LDL cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. Hence, the target LDL number can vary depending upon the underlying risk of heart diseases.

  • With other risk factors for heart disease, target LDL level should be below 100 mg/dL
  • With other very high risk of heart disease, target LDL level should be below 70 mg/dL

LDL Cholesterol  Level

 

Category

Less than 100 mg/dL

Optimal

100–129 mg/dL

Near optimal/above optimal

130–159 mg/dL

Borderline high

160–189 mg/dL

High

190 mg/dL and higher

Very high

Chart 3: HDL Cholesterol Level

HDL Cholesterol  Level

Category

Below 40 mg/dL (men)
Below 50 mg/dL (women)

Poor

50-59 mg/dL

Better

60 mg/dL and above

Best

Chart 4: Triglycerides

Factors that can raise your triglyceride level include:

  • Overweight
  • Lack of physical activity
  • Cigarette smoking
  • Alcohol Abuse
  • A very high carbohydrate diet
  • Certain diseases and medicines
  • Some genetic disorders


Triglycerides

Category

Below 150 mg/dL

Best

150-199 mg/dL

Borderline high

200-499 mg/dL

High

500 mg/dL and above

Very high

Treatments of High Blood Cholesterol

The first line of treatment of high blood cholesterol is lifestyle changes and medicines.
The main goal in the treatment of high blood cholesterol is to lower the LDL cholesterol level. Lowering the LDL level the risk for coronary heart disease, heart attack and other medical conditions will be reduced.

Lifestyle Changes

Changing certain habits can help to lower the LDL cholesterol. They are:

Following a healthy diet

  • Try to eat food with
  • Low in sodium
  • Low in saturated fats, trans fats
  • Less sugar added drinks
  • Less drinks with alcohol
  • High in soluble fiber
  • High in plant stanols or sterols
  • High in omega-3 fatty acids

Managing weight

Lowering the excess weight can help to lower the LDL cholesterol. Obesity is one of the major factors out of 5 metabolic risk factors which contribute to have a metabolic syndrome. The rest four are a high triglyceride level, a low HDL cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.Metabolic syndrome is the major risk factor to cause heart disease and other health problems such as heart attack, CHD, diabetes and stroke.

Physical activity

Being physically inactive increase the risk of being overweight. Regular exercise or physical activities for thirty minutes for most of the days of a week can greatly improve healthy.  Exercise can help to burn those calories which you consume through food. Also Routine physical activity can lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and raise your HDL cholesterol level.

Medicines

A single medicine or a combination of medicines depending upon individual risk factors, age, gender and etc will be prescribed to control or lower the high level of cholesterol.

  • Statins
  • Bile-acid-binding resins
  • Cholesterol absorption inhibitors
  • Fibrates
  • Omega-3 fatty acid supplements
  • Niacin

These medicines used are for:

  • To lower the LDL cholesterol
  • To convert cholesterol into bile acid
  • To lower triglycerides
  • To raises HDL cholesterol
  • To block the intestine from absorbing cholesterol
  • To limit the liver to produce LDL and VLDL cholesterol

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