High cholesterol is a condition where the level of bad fats, or lipids, in the blood is too high. It’s primarily caused by eating fatty foods, lack of exercise, being overweight, smoking, and drinking alcohol. This condition can lead to hardening of the arteries, increase the risk of heart disease, and cause other heart-related problems.
Cholesterol travels through the blood on proteins called ‘lipoproteins’. There are two types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol to and from cells – LDL and HDL.
LDL cholesterol is often termed as ‘bad’ cholesterol because it can build up in the artery walls, leading to a disease called atherosclerosis which is a form of heart disease.
HDL cholesterol is termed as ‘good’ cholesterol because it takes the ‘bad’ cholesterol back to your liver where it is broken down and passed out of your body.
An individual with high cholesterol levels typically show no signs or symptoms, so it’s important to get your cholesterol levels checked regularly. Management of high cholesterol is usually achieved through lifestyle changes such as healthier diet, regular exercise, limiting alcohol consumption, and quitting smoking. In some cases, medication may be prescribed.
Causes of High cholesterol
High cholesterol levels can be attributed to several factors including:
1. Poor Diet: Consuming saturated fats, found in red meat and full-fat dairy products, and trans fats, found in some commercially baked cookies and crackers, can raise your cholesterol levels. Foods that are high in cholesterol, such as red meat and full-fat dairy products, can also increase your cholesterol.
2. Obesity: Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater, generally increases your LDL (bad) cholesterol level and lowers your HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
3. Lack of Exercise: Lack of physical activity can lead to weight gain, which could raise your LDL cholesterol level. Regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your LDL while increasing your HDL cholesterol.
4. Smoking: Smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them more prone to accumulate fatty deposits. It can also lower the level of HDL cholesterol.
5. Age and Gender: As we age, cholesterol levels tend to rise. Men generally have higher levels of cholesterol throughout life than women. But after age 55, women can have higher levels than men.
6. Genetics: Some people inherit genes from their parents that cause them to have too much cholesterol. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a form of inherited high cholesterol.
7. Underlying Conditions: Certain underlying conditions such as diabetes or hypothyroidism can lead to high cholesterol levels.
8. Medications: Certain drugs are known to increase cholesterol levels, such as certain types of diuretics, beta blockers, and corticosteroids.
9. Alcohol: Drinking alcohol not only raises cholesterol levels but can cause serious health problems including high blood pressure, heart failure, and strokes.
10. Stress: Long-term stress can affect your cholesterol levels too.
Controlling some of these risk factors, such as diet and exercise, can help manage high cholesterol levels. It is important to have regular cholesterol screenings, especially if high cholesterol runs in your family.
Risk Factors of High cholesterol
High cholesterol can be influenced by a variety of risk factors, such as:
1. Poor diet: Eating high amounts of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol can raise your cholesterol levels. Foods high in cholesterol include red meat, full-fat dairy products, and egg yolks.
2. Obesity: Obesity is linked with higher cholesterol levels, as your body might store too much fat, leading to an increase in cholesterol levels.
3. Lack of physical activity: Exercise helps boost the body’s HDL, or “good,” cholesterol while increasing the size of the particles that make up LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, which makes it less harmful.
4. Smoking: Smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them more prone to accumulate fatty deposits. It also lowers your level of HDL, or ‘good’ cholesterol.
5. Age: As we age, our bodies’ chemistry changes and our risk of high cholesterol increases. This is partly due to the liver becoming less able to remove LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.
6. Diabetes: High blood sugar contributes to higher levels of dangerous cholesterol called very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good, cholesterol. High blood sugar also damages the lining of your arteries.
7. Family history: Genetics may influence your chance of high cholesterol. If members of your family have had high cholesterol, you may be at risk too.
8. Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol in abundance can lead to higher levels of cholesterol and higher blood pressure.
9. Stress: Stress over a long period can raise your cholesterol levels.
Understanding these risk factors can aid in the prevention and management of high cholesterol. Certain risk factors, such as diet and physical activity level, can be controlled with lifestyle modifications. Other risk factors, like age and genetics, can’t be changed, but awareness and monitoring can aid in early detection and treatment. Always consult with your doctor or a healthcare professional for personalized advice.
Signs and Symptoms of High cholesterol
High cholesterol typically doesn’t have any obvious symptoms until it leads to conditions like heart disease, so it often goes undetected unless detected with a blood test. A high level of cholesterol in the blood itself doesn’t cause physical signs. However, it can lead to the development of certain health conditions, the symptoms of which can indicate high cholesterol.
These can include:
Chest pain, also known as angina: This symptom may suggest coronary artery disease, which could suggest high cholesterol.
Heart attack or stroke: Both are often the result of cholesterol buildup in the arteries.
Pain while walking: The result of blocked arteries in the legs.
Other noticeable signs may be seen in cases of very high cholesterol levels. These may include:
Fatty skin deposits known as xanthomas: These are bumps or skin discolorations often found on the hands, elbows, knees, feet, or the buttocks.
Corneal arcus: It’s a gray or white arc visible above or below the outer part of the cornea — the clear, domelike covering over the front of the eye. Usually, it doesn’t affect vision.
If you experience any heart disease symptoms or have a family history of high cholesterol, it is advisable to seek medical attention. Your doctor can recommend a blood test to measure the cholesterol levels in your blood. Early detection and management of high cholesterol can help prevent serious complications like heart disease and stroke.
Diagnosis High cholesterol
High cholesterol is a condition where the levels of cholesterol in your blood are too high. Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) in your blood. Your cells need cholesterol, and your body makes all it needs. But you also get additional cholesterol from foods you consume.
When you have too much cholesterol, it can build up in your arteries. This is known as atherosclerosis, a type of heart disease, leading to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
There are two types of cholesterol:
1. LDL or low density lipoprotein, often known as ‘bad’ cholesterol. High levels of LDL lead to a build-up of cholesterol in your arteries.
2. HDL or high density lipoprotein, often referred to as ‘good’ cholesterol. HDL carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver, which removes it from your body.
The diagnosis of high cholesterol is usually made through a simple blood test. Sometimes it’s diagnosed during a routine physical examination or as part of a cardiovascular risk assessment. It’s recommended that adults over 20 years of age should have their cholesterol checked every 4 to 6 years.
Treatment of High cholesterol
Treatment for high cholesterol typically involves lifestyle changes and, if necessary, medication.
1. Lifestyle Changes:
These are often the first line of defense against high cholesterol.
Diet: A low salt diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats can help reduce cholesterol. Foods high in saturated and trans fats should be avoided, as they can increase cholesterol levels.
Exercise: Regular physical activity can also help lower cholesterol. This can include anything from walking and jogging to swimming and biking. It’s recommended to aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
Weight management: Losing excess weight and maintaining a healthy weight can help lower cholesterol.
Quit smoking: Smoking can lower your good cholesterol, especially in women, and increases your LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol.
2. Medication:
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, you may need to take medication to manage your cholesterol levels. The type of medication prescribed can depend on your overall health, the levels of your cholesterol, and any side effects you experience. Some of the common medications include:
Statins, like Lipitor and Crestor, are most commonly prescribed. These drugs block the substance your liver needs to make cholesterol.
Bile-acid-binding resins, like Cholestyramine (Prevalite), Colesevelam (Welchol), and Colestipol (Colestid), help your body use excess cholesterol to produce bile.
Cholesterol absorption inhibitors, like Ezetimibe (Zetia), can help your body absorb less cholesterol from the foods you eat.
Combined drugs, like Ezetimibe-Simvastatin (Vytorin), provide a two-pronged approach to lowering cholesterol by both reducing the cholesterol in your food and blocking your liver from producing too much cholesterol.
In addition to these treatments, it is always crucial to continue having regular check-ups with a doctor to monitor cholesterol levels and adjust treatment plans as necessary. Please make sure to consult with a doctor or a healthcare professional before starting any treatment.
Medications commonly used for High cholesterol
High cholesterol is commonly treated with a variety of medications. The main aim of these drugs is to lower the level of unhealthy cholesterol and raise the level of healthy cholesterol in your body. Here are some commonly used medications:
1. Statins: These are the most commonly prescribed medications for high cholesterol. They work by blocking a substance your liver needs to make cholesterol, thus causing your liver to remove cholesterol from your blood. Examples include Atorvastatin (Lipitor), Fluvastatin (Lescol XL), Lovastatin (Altoprev), Pitavastatin (Livalo), Pravastatin (Pravachol), Rosuvastatin (Crestor, Ezallor), Simvastatin (Zocor), among others.
2. Bile-acid-binding resins: Your liver uses cholesterol to produce bile acids, a substance needed for digestion. The medications cholestyramine (Prevalite), colesevelam (WelChol) and colestipol (Colestid) lower cholesterol indirectly by binding to bile acids, which prompts your liver to use excess cholesterol to produce more bile acids.
3. Cholesterol absorption inhibitors: Your small intestine absorbs the cholesterol from your diet and releases it into your bloodstream. The drug ezetimibe (Zetia) helps reduce blood cholesterol by limiting the absorption of dietary cholesterol. Zetia can be used in combination with any of the statin drugs.
4. PCSK9 inhibitors: These injectable medications, which include alirocumab (Praluent) and evolocumab (Repatha), can help the liver absorb more LDL cholesterol, which lowers the amount of cholesterol in your blood.
5. Fibrates: This type of medication, including fenofibrate (Tricor, Fenoglide, others) and gemfibrozil (Lopid), decreases your liver’s production of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol and increases the elimination of triglycerides.
6. Niacin: Sometimes known as vitamin B-3, large amounts of niacin can help lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which helps to remove LDL cholesterol from your blood. However, niacin at the necessary doses may have side effects and isn’t often used nowadays compared to other cholesterol-lowering drugs.
7. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements: These types of fats have been found to be heart healthy. Fish oil supplements containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can help lower triglycerides.
Remember, the use of these medications must be supervised by a medical professional, to monitor possible side effects and to measure their effectiveness in controlling high cholesterol levels. Also, lifestyle changes like a healthy diet, regular exercise, and quitting smoking are important components of treatment for high cholesterol.
Prevention of High cholesterol
Preventing high cholesterol often involves lifestyle modifications:
1. Healthy diet: Reduce saturated fats and trans fats intake. Saturated fats are found in red meat and full-fat dairy, and trans fats are found in some commercial baked goods. Instead, opt for leaner cuts of meat, low-fat dairy, and monounsaturated fats found in olive, peanut and canola oils. Include omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds) and soluble fiber (found in oats, fruits, and vegetables) in your diet.
2. Regular exercise: Previous studies have recommended at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Regular physical activity can help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the good cholesterol, while lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the bad cholesterol.
3. Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight contributes to high cholesterol. Losing even as little as 5 to 10 percent of your weight can significantly reduce cholesterol levels.
4. Avoid smoking: Smoking lowers your good cholesterol, particularly in women, and increases your bad cholesterol.
5. Limit alcohol: Drinking alcohol in moderation, or not at all, can lower your cholesterol levels. If you choose to drink, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.
6. Regular health screening: Regular cholesterol screenings can help you keep track of your cholesterol levels and monitor changes that need treatment alterations.
In some instances, lifestyle changes may not be enough, and your doctor may prescribe medication to lower your cholesterol levels. Following your doctor’s advice and maintaining regular check-ups are crucial to staying on top of your health.
FAQ’s about High cholesterol
1. What is high cholesterol?
High cholesterol refers to a condition where there is an excessive amount of cholesterol in your blood. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that your body needs to build cells, but too much cholesterol can lead to health problems.
2. What causes high cholesterol?
There are many factors that can lead to high cholesterol, including a diet high in saturated and trans fats, a lack of physical activity, smoking, obesity, genetic factors, and certain medical conditions like diabetes.
3. Is high cholesterol hereditary?
Yes, high cholesterol can be hereditary. This is due to a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia which leads to very high cholesterol levels and is inherited from parents to their children.
4. What are the symptoms of high cholesterol?
High cholesterol usually doesn’t have any symptoms. Most people do not know they have high cholesterol until they have a heart attack or stroke, or it is detected during a routine blood test.
5. How is high cholesterol diagnosed?
High cholesterol is diagnosed with a simple blood test called a lipid panel. This test measures the amount of specific types of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood.
6. What are the risks associated with high cholesterol?
High cholesterol can lead to the development of atherosclerosis, a condition where the cholesterol can build up in the artery walls. This can increase your risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
7. What are the treatment options for high cholesterol?
Treatment for high cholesterol typically involves lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. If these are not enough, medication may be prescribed by your healthcare provider.
8. Can diet and exercise lower high cholesterol?
Yes, a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise can help lower your cholesterol levels. This includes a diet low in saturated and trans fats, and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
9. If I have high cholesterol, am I at risk of heart disease?
Yes, having high cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease. High cholesterol can lead to the development of atherosclerosis, which can restrict blood flow and lead to heart disease.
10. How often should I get my cholesterol checked?
The American Heart Association recommends all adults aged 20 or older should have their cholesterol checked every 4-6 years. If you have a high risk of heart disease, you may need to get it checked more frequently. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personal recommendations.
Useful links
High cholesterol, also known as hypercholesterolemia, refers to a condition where there is a high level of cholesterol in the body. If left untreated, high cholesterol can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Below are some journal links related to high cholesterol:
Please note that information in scientific journals can be technical and complex. Consult your doctor or a healthcare professional for clarification and personalized advice relating to high cholesterol treatment and management based on your specific health condition.
Complications of High cholesterol
High cholesterol, particularly LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol, can have many negative implications for one’s health if it is not managed properly. Here are a few potential complications:
1. Atherosclerosis: This is the most common complication. Atherosclerosis refers to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries. When too much cholesterol builds up in the artery walls, it forms a plaque that can restrict blood flow.
2. Coronary Artery Disease: The build-up of plaque in the heart arteries can cause coronary artery disease. This condition can lead to chest pain (angina) and increase the risk of a heart attack.
3. Heart Attack: If a piece of the cholesterol plaque breaks off, a blood clot can form around it, completely blocking blood flow to a part of the heart. This results in a heart attack, which can cause significant damage to the heart tissue, and can be fatal.
4. Stroke: Similar to a heart attack, a stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, denying brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. This can be a result of atherosclerosis in the brain arteries.
5. Peripheral Artery Disease: This is when the blood vessels carrying blood to your legs and arms become narrow due to accumulation of cholesterol plaque. Symptoms might include numbness, pain and infections.
6. Chronic Kidney Disease: Atherosclerosis can also affect the arteries that carry blood to your kidneys. Over time, this can affect the kidneys’ ability to filter blood, leading to chronic kidney disease.
Conclusively, managing your cholesterol levels is a significant part of maintaining your overall health. Healthy lifestyle choices like a balanced diet, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and abstaining from smoking are key factors in managing cholesterol levels.
Home remedies of High cholesterol
There are several home remedies and lifestyle changes you can make to assist in lowering your high cholesterol levels. Here are a few:
1. Healthy Diet: Consuming a heart-healthy diet can help lower high cholesterol levels. This includes eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats (like avocados, nuts, and cold-water fish). Limit intake of saturated fats (found in red meat and full-fat dairy products) and eliminate trans fats (often found in fried foods and commercial baked goods).
2. Regular Exercise: Regular physical activity can help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol while lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
3. Weight Management: Losing excess weight contributes greatly to lowering cholesterol levels. Even a modest weight loss can have a significant impact.
4. Quit Smoking: Smoking lowers your good cholesterol, increases your bad cholesterol and puts you at risk for a heart attack. Quitting smoking can improve your HDL cholesterol level.
5. Limit Alcohol: Drinking alcohol in moderation or not at all can help in controlling cholesterol levels. Too much alcohol can lead to serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart failure, and strokes.
6. Increase Soluble Fiber: Foods like oatmeal, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears can decrease the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream and can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
In addition to these, certain supplements such as fish oil and psyllium could assist in lowering cholesterol levels. But, before starting any supplementation program, always check with your healthcare provider as they might interact with other medications or conditions.
Remember, while these remedies and lifestyle changes can help manage high cholesterol, they should be supplements to—not replacements for—professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized advice.