What is High Cholesterol?
High cholesterol or high body fat, sometimes referred to as dyslipidaemia, is the term used to describe unhealthful blood levels of one or more lipids (fats). The “bad” kind of cholesterol is referred to as LDL. That’s because it can accumulate and create clumps or plaque to grow on the artery walls. A heart attack can be brought on by having too much plaque in your heart’s arteries. The calories you consume which don’t immediately burn will produce triglycerides. In fat cells, triglycerides are stored. When you require them, they are released as energy. However, if you consume more calories than you expend, triglycerides may accumulate in your body.
Causes for high cholesterol or dyslipidemia
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Smoking Cigarettes
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Being Overweight
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Leading a Sedentary Lifestyle
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High blood pressure in lung blood vessels
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Eating Foods High in Saturated and Trans-fats
Signs & Symptoms
High cholesterol doesn’t have overt symptoms as high blood pressure does. Very often, a regular blood test will reveal it.
What are the causes for high cholesterol or dyslipidemia?
Smoking cigarettes, being overweight and leading a sedentary lifestyle, eating foods high in saturated and trans-fats, and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can cause or contribute to elevated triglyceride levels. If one or both of your parents had dyslipidemia, you were more likely to have primary dyslipidemia. A risk factor for elevated cholesterol increases with age. Up until menopause, women often have lower LDL levels than males. Women’s LDL levels start to increase at that point. The following medical issues can also increase your risk of dyslipidemia: Chronic renal disease, hypothyroidism, and type 2 diabetes.
What are the complications of high cholesterol or dyslipidemia?
Cholesterol can interact with other chemicals to produce a hard deposit on the inside of your arteries known as plaque if your LDL or HDL levels are too high or too low. Your chance of having a number of health issues, including a stroke and blockages in other blood arteries that feed your limbs and nerves, increases when fatty deposit deposition occurs inside the arterial wall of your blood vessels.
Risk Factors
Diabetes
History of High Cholesterol
Tobacco Smoking
Excessive Alcohol Consumption
FAQs
You may determine if your LDL, HDL, and triglyceride levels are high, low, or within a safe range with a straightforward blood test. Considering that these figures might alter from year to year, taking a blood test every year is a smart idea. Your doctor might recommend more regular blood tests if you take medication for dyslipidemia.
The most often prescribed drugs (statin) work to lower LDL levels by preventing the liver’s ability to produce cholesterol. Other cholesterol drugs may also be recommended by your doctor. They can be used instead of or in addition to statins.
You may be able to lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels by making lifestyle adjustments. Changing your diet is the first step. Consuming less alcohol, processed sugar, and saturated fat should be among the changes. Your diet may benefit from include more fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and healthy grains.