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Risk of High Cholesterol: Tests, Prevention and Treatment

Risk of High Cholesterol: Tests, Prevention and Treatment

What is Cholesterol?

Clogged artery and atherosclerosis disease medical concept with a three-dimensional human artery with blood cells that are blocked by plaque buildup of cholesterol as a symbol of arteriosclerotic vascular diseases.

Cholesterol is actually beneficial for our health. However, if the cholesterol level in our blood is higher than normal, we are exposed to a higher risk of hyperlipidemiahypercholesterolemia, or high blood cholesterol. 

Cholesterol actually helps to support the normal function of cell membraneshormone levels, and others. 

It is an oil-based substance, which means it does not mix with blood, a water-based fluid. Thus, it travels around the body in lipoproteins.

Cholesterol can be found in our daily diets, such as in egg yolks, meat, and cheese.

Interestingly, cholesterol can be either good or bad. 

In fact, excessive cholesterol will build up inside the walls of blood vessels and blocks the blood flow.

This build-up is called plaque, or atherosclerosis.

Many complications may arise due to this, for example:

  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Conorany artery disease

Types of Cholesterol

There are three types of cholesterol, such as:

  • Low-density lipoproteins (LDL): Also known as “bad” cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
  • High-density lipoproteins (HDL): Also known as “good” cholesterol, it carries cholesterol back to the liver. Then, the liver flushes it out from the body. Optimum levels of HDL cholesterol can in fact lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
  • Very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL): Also known as “bad” cholesterol because it causes build-up of plaques in arteries.  However, VLDL and LDL are different as VLDL carries triglycerides whereas LDL carries cholesterol.

Test to Measure Cholesterol

What’s even more frightening is that you may not know you have bad cholesterol levels until a sudden heart attack or stroke happens.

So, it is important to check your cholesterol levels at least every 5 years.

The cholesterol screening requires a blood sample.

Hence, before doing a cholesterol test, you will need to fast for about 8 to 12 hours. 

The cholesterol test checks the levels of your total cholesterol. 

It is the total amount of cholesterol in the blood based on your HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.

Levels and Ranges

Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] 2020, the target range for cholesterol levels are as below:

Lipid Profile Normal Range
Total Cholesterol <200 mg/dL
LDL (“bad”) cholesterol <100 mg/dL
HDL (“good”) cholesterol ≥ 60 mg/dL
Triglyceride ≥ 60 mg/dL

What Risk Factors Affect Cholesterol Levels?

Risk factors that may raise your cholesterol level include:

Age:  When we get older, our cholesterol levels may rise. However, young people, such as children and teenagers can also have high cholesterol.

Heredity: Genetic factors can also cause high cholesterol.

Weight: Being overweight or obese also increase your cholesterol level.

Race: Some races may have an increased risk of high cholesterol. For instance, African Americans have higher HDL and LDL cholesterol levels than Caucasians.

Diet: Saturated fat and trans fat in food, will increase cholesterol levels. Saturated fat can increase your cholesterol count, so take it in moderation. For instance,  red meat, butter, and cheese have a lot of saturated fat.

Prevention

Avoid tobacco: Smoking may reduce the number of good cholesterol in your body.

Diet: Reduce the intake of trans fats and saturated fat. Eat heart-healthy food, such as fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, and whole grains. On the other hand, limit the intake of red meat, sugary products, and dairy products made with whole milk.

Harvard Health has identified 11 cholesterol-lowering foods that can lower cholesterol levels which includes:

  • oats
  • barley and whole grains
  • beans
  • eggplant and okra
  • nuts
  • vegetable oil like canola and sunflower
  • fruits such as apples, grapes, strawberries, and citrus
  • soy and soy-based foods
  • fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines
  • foods rich in fiber

Exercise regularly: Try to exercise about 30 minutes per day, 5 times a week.

Lose weight: Losing about 10% of your body weight can make a difference in your cholesterol levels. Get advice from your healthcare provider about safe ways to lose weight.

Avoid negative emotions: Learn how to deal with anger, stress, and other negative emotions.

Control blood sugar and blood pressure: Make sure to follow your healthcare provider’s guidelines for blood sugar levels, especially if you have diabetes, to keep your blood pressure healthy.

Medications

There are several types of medications to treat high cholesterol.

The type of lipid-lowering drug chosen depends on their level of cholesterol and other risk factors.

Healthcare practitioners usually will advise starting with diet and exercise first, but people with a higher risk of a heart attack may need to take statins or other medications to treat their disease.

  • Statins

Statin medications are one of the most well-known categories of cholesterol drugs. 

Statins work by reducing the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver.

Furthermore, they help to decrease blood cholesterol and thus reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Several types of statins are available by prescription in Malaysia, such as:

  1. Atorvastatin (Lipitor®).
  2. Fluvastatin (Lescol®).
  3. Lovastatin (Mevacor®).
  4. Pravastatin (Pravachol®).
  5. Rosuvastatin (Crestor®).
  6. Simvastatin (Zocor®).
  • Other lipid-lowering therapy

1. Selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors

2. Niacin is a B vitamin that affects the production of fats in the liver.

3. Bile acid sequestrants are another class of drugs used to treat high cholesterol levels. Drugs, also called resins, are attached to bile acid, which cannot be used for digestion. Consequently, the liver makes more bile by using more cholesterol. Examples of these drugs are Cholestyramine and Colesevelam HCL.

4. Fibrates are also called fibric acid derivatives. They are more effective at reducing triglyceride levels than LDL cholesterol. It also helps to boost the levels of HDL cholesterol. These drugs include Fenofibrate and Gemfibrozil.

5. Omega-3 fatty acid medications derived from fish oils work to lower high triglyceride levels.

Apart from having a healthy lifestyle, some medication helps to reduce the cholesterol level in our bodies. 

At Mayflax, we provide pharmaceutical products including cholesterol medications such as Crestor® and other drug brands. If you purchase medications from us, you can contact us or sign up here for more info.

 

 

References

  1. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9152#levels_ranges
  2. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/high-cholesterol/high-cholesterol-prevention-treatment-and-research
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/cholesterol_screening.htm

About the author

Bachelor of Science (Hons) Pharmacology, is a Customer Relationship Executive of Mayflax, one of the nation’s leading healthcare and marketing companies.

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