High Cholesterol (Hypercholesterolemia) |
 Understanding Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol is excess levels of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol in the blood consists of three main components:
- Low density lipoproteins (LDL)—involved in depositing cholesterol and other fats throughout the body. High levels of LDL put you at risk for hardening of the arteries and heart disease.
- High density lipoproteins (HDL)—involved in eliminating cholesterol and other fats from the body. High levels of HDL are protective against heart disease.
- Triglycerides—a common form of fat in the body
Causes of high cholesterol include:
A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.
Risk factors for high cholesterol include:
- Age: Cholesterol levels tend to rise as you get older.
-
Sex:
- Family members with high cholesterol
- High-fat diet
- Obesity, overweight
- Sedentary lifestyle
High cholesterol rarely causes symptoms. Over time, however, untreated high cholesterol often leads to atherosclerosis. This is a condition that eventually blocks the flow blood as it travels through arteries to the tissues of the body. In severe cases this may result in angina, heart attack, stroke, and other serious complications.
In people with an inherited form of high cholesterol, cholesterol deposits in the tendons, under the eyes, and around the cornea.
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam. High cholesterol is diagnosed through tests that measure levels of the following factors in your blood:
- Total cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- LDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides
Treatment may include: - Limit the amount of fat and cholesterol you eat.
- Eat a diet high in fiber.
- Begin a safe exercise program recommended by your doctor.
- Increase physical activity in your daily life, as recommended by your doctor.
- If you smoke, quit.
- If you are overweight, lose weight.
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Moderate alcohol intake is no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
If diet and exercise don't lower your blood cholesterol in a reasonable period of time, you may need cholesterol-lowering medication. A partial list of medications includes:
- Cholestyramine (Questran)
- Colestipol (Colestid)
- Nicotinic acid (Niacor)
- Lovastatin (Mevacor)
- Pravastatin (Pravachol)
- Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
- Simvastatin (Zocor)
- Ezetimibe (Zetia)
Statins are the most commonly prescribed medications for high cholesterol. Atorvastatin, given at 80 mg once a day, has been shown to cause the regression of atherosclerotic plaques. Combination therapy is often required for effective lowering of LDL in patients at high risk for
coronary artery disease
.
To reduce your chance of having high cholesterol:
American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
http://ww2.heartandstroke.ca/Page.asp?PageID=24 University of Ottawa Heart Institute
http://www.ottawaheart.ca/UOHI/Welcome.do
American Heart Association website. Available at:
http://www.americanheart.org
.
Heart disease and stroke statistics update. American Heart Association website. Available at:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1928
. Accessed December 17, 2007.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov
.
Primary Care Medicine
. 4th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000.
Third report of the expert panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). National Cholesterol Education Program website. Available at:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/index.htm
. Accessed December 17, 2007.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]December 2007 | 
