High cholesterol level in the body is responsible for many serious disorders of heart. Read out causes, signs and symptoms, and treatments of high cholesterol.
High cholesterol level in the body produces numerous health risks and some of which could be as fatal as a heart attack. So, it is very important that you be watchful of your cholesterol levels and look out for early symptoms and signs of the problem. Generally, high cholesterol level is an asymptomatic problem, means there are no such symptoms or warning signs of the problem that can help you find out the problem at an early stage. High cholesterol level in the body leads to the development of serious disorders like Atherosclerotic heart disease, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, gallstones etc.
High cholesterol mostly deposited in the coronary arteries of the heart and leads to blockage of the coronary arteries which results in insufficiency, ischaemia (decreased oxygen supply to the muscles of the heart) and this finally in myocardial infarction (heart attack). Very high levels of cholesterol can also lead to skin changes like xanthelesma near the eyes. In the most frequently occurring type of gallstones, cholesterol constitutes a large part.
It is important to know more about cholesterol to understand high blood cholesterol.
- Cholesterol is a fatty substance which is found in all cells of the body. To work the right way, body needs some cholesterol.
- Cholesterol is also found in some type of the foods that people consume.
- Body requires cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances which help in digestion of foods.
Cholesterol is waxy and blood is watery. Just like oil and water, these two do not mix. In the blood, cholesterol travel in form of small packages called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are made of fat (lipid) on the inside and proteins on the outside. Lipoproteins are of two types which carry cholesterol throughout your body and it is important to have healthy levels of both in the body.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is known as bad cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol leads to a buildup of cholesterol in arteries and higher LDL level in blood increases the chances of getting heart disease.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is known as good cholesterol. HDL carries cholesterol to liver from other parts of body. The liver eliminates the cholesterol from body. The higher HDL cholesterol level in the body, lower the chance of getting heart disease.
Causes of High Cholesterol:
Variety of factors including heredity, diet, and lifestyle can lead to high cholesterol level in the body. Heredity, age and sex related causes of high cholesterol can not be controlled but you can control your eating habits and physical activities.
Heredity:
Familial hypercholesterolemia is a hereditary form of high cholesterol that may lead to early heart disease. Genes may manipulate how the body metabolizes LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Physical activity/exercise:
Regular physical activity may lower triglycerides in the body and increase HDL cholesterol levels.
Age and sex:
Generally, women have lower total cholesterol levels before menopause than men of the same age. On aging blood cholesterol levels rise until about 60-65 years of age in both women and men. After about age 50 years, women often have higher total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.
Mental stress:
Several studies have suggested that stress increases blood cholesterol levels over the long term. One way that stress may do this is by affecting your habits. Such as, when some people are under stress, they comfort themselves by eating fatty foods and the saturated fat and cholesterol in these foods contribute to higher levels of blood cholesterol.
Weight:
LDL (bad) cholesterol level may be modestly increased by excess body weight. Weight loss may lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
Causes of High Cholesterol
Alcohol use:
Drinking of alcohol in moderate (1-2 drinks daily) increases HDL (good) cholesterol but does not lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Also, it is not confirmed that alcohol reduces the risk of heart disease. Too much alcohol intake can damage the liver and heart muscle, lead to high blood pressure, and increase triglyceride levels. Due to such risks, alcoholic beverages should not be used as a way to prevent heart disease.
Signs and Symptoms of High Cholesterol:
Generally, there are no symptoms of high cholesterol. Similarly, people with normal cholesterol levels do not feel any better than people with high cholesterol levels. Routine screening blood tests is the only way to detect high cholesterol. To determine how high cholesterol impacts a person’s total risk for cardiovascular disease, a comprehensive evaluation from a licensed physician or health care professional is necessary.
The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines recommend that everyone aged 20 years and older should have measured their blood cholesterol level at least once every 5 years. To find out your cholesterol numbers, it is best to have a blood test called a lipoprotein profile.
The lipoprotein profile will give information about,
- Total cholesterol
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) bad cholesterol: the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL) good cholesterol: the good cholesterol that helps keep cholesterol from building up in arteries
- Triglycerides: another form of fat in your blood
Serious complications of high cholesterol include,
- Atherosclerosis
- Heart disease
- Blood clots
- Hypertension
- Myocardial infarction
- Stroke
In case of high cholesterol level, low density lipoproteins (LDLs) will leave extra cholesterol in the blood. If HDL cannot pick up all of this cholesterol, it will build up on your artery walls, along with other fats and debris, known as plaque. As the time goes on, plaque can narrow the blood vessels and sometimes this buildup may even block your blood vessels completely. This condition is called as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis can affect all organs of systems but heart is the organ which is most seriously affected by both high cholesterol and atherosclerosis.
If the vessel is blocked in your brain, it can cause a stroke. Blockages can also take place in the blood vessels (called the coronary arteries) that carry blood to the heart muscle. This blockage process is called coronary heart disease, and it can lead to a heart attack.
High Cholesterol Treatment:
At Home:
High cholesterol is one of several risk factors that responsible for coronary heart disease. Risks factors of high cholesterol that can be controlled at home include:
- Quit smoking
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- Obesity/excess weight
- Physical inactivity
- Low HDL (good) cholesterol
- High blood cholesterol (high total cholesterol and high LDL [bad] cholesterol)
Diet: The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has created dietary guidelines.
- Total fat: less than 30% of daily caloric intake
- Saturated fat: less than 7% of daily caloric intake
- Polyunsaturated fat (found in vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, leafy greens): less than or equal to 10% of daily caloric intake
- Monounsaturated fat: approximately 10%-15% of daily caloric intake
- Cholesterol: less than 200 milligrams per day
- Carbohydrates: 50%-60% of daily caloric intake
With vegetarian diets, some people are able to reduce fat and dietary cholesterol. Stanol esters can be included in the diet and may decrease LDL by about 14%. Products containing stanol esters include margarine substitutes (marketed as brand names Benecol and Take Control).
- Physical Activity:
Exercise has little effect on LDL. Aerobic exercise may improve insulin sensitivity, HDL, and triglyceride levels and may thus decrease the risk of heart disease. People who exercise and control their diet appear to be more successful with long-term lifestyle modifications that get better their heart risk profile.
- Weight management:
For those people who have a group of risk factors, weight management is especially important. Risk factors include raised triglyceride and/or reduced HDL levels and being overweight with a large waist measurement (40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for women). This is referred as metabolic syndrome and it increases risk of heart disease.
Medicines:
With dietary changes and regular exercise, your doctor may prescribe medicines to help lower your cholesterol. Medicines controls high blood cholesterol but not cure it.
Cholesterol-lowering medicines are of five major types:
- Statins
- Bile Acid Sequestrants
- NicotinicAcid
- Fibrates
- Ezetimibe
It is essential that you take all medicines as your doctor prescribes. The combination of these medicines may lower your risk for heart disease or heart attack.
With this treatment, regular checkup is necessary to:
- Make sure your cholesterol level is controlled
- Check for other health problems
Understanding Cholesterol~Triglycerides video from Youtube:
Healthy Eating Guidelines : How to Eat to Lower Triglycerides video from Youtube:
Certain drugs can elevate cholesterol levels. These include steroids, oral contraceptives, furosemide (Lasix) and other diuretics, and levodopa (L-dopa, sold under the brand names Dopar, Larodopar, and Sinemet), which is used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Beta-blockers, often prescribed to control high blood pressure, can cause unfavorable changes in the ratio of LDL to HDL in the blood. Cigarette smoke contains large quantities of free radicals, many known to oxidise LDL cholesterol, making them more likely to be deposited on the walls of the blood vessels. The effect of cigarette smoke may be due to the direct oxidation of lipids and proteins, and it may also have indirect effects, such as the depletion of various antioxidant defences, which then allow other cellular processes (inflammation, for example) to modify LDL. In addition, smoking increases levels of LDL, lowers levels of HDL and increases the blood’s tendency to form clots. Underactive Thyroid and stress also result in an overproduction of natural cholesterol, and obesity causes unfavorable changes in serum lipoprotein levels.