Author’s Bio:Dharshini Senthilkumar is an incoming college freshman majoring in biology. She is interested in the medical sciences and hopes to provide awareness on serious medical conditions.

What is high cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that does not mix well with blood, but it is not inherently bad for you. Your body requires some amount of cholesterol in order to be able to make new cells, vitamins, or hormones. As always, sometimes too much is not good.

Your liver makes the cholesterol your body needs, but the other source of cholesterol is your food. Some foods are high in saturated and trans fats, which are the types of fats that cause your liver to create more cholesterol than needed. This extra cholesterol, when past a point, can cause health issues and be dangerous.

There are 2 types of cholesterol:

LDL- considered the bad cholesterol
HDL- considered the good cholesterol

Too much of LDL cholesterol or too little of HDL cholesterol can lead to increased risk of cholesterol build up on the walls of arteries which, in turn, can cause heart disease or stroke.

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What are the correct cholesterol ranges?

In adults, total cholesterol levels less than 200 milligrams per deciliter is considered healthy. In the range of 200-239 mg/dL, it would be considered borderline high. Any reading above 240 mg/dL is high.

LDL levels should be less than 100 mg/dL, and HDL levels should be at least 60 mg/dL.

What causes high cholesterol?

A buildup of cholesterol is what causes the arteries to start narrowing. This condition is called atherosclerosis which forms plaques that restrict blood flow.

Increased fat intake causes this increased cholesterol level that leads to higher risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Excess weight and obesity are also risk factors for higher LDL levels. Genetics may also contribute to high cholesterol like inheriting Familial Hypercholesterolemia which is a condition that leads to high LDL levels.

Other conditions that also cause high cholesterol include:

Diabetes
Liver or kidney disease
Pregnancy
Underactive thyroid gland

What are the symptoms of high cholesterol?

There are no clear-cut signs of high cholesterol; only regular screening and blood tests can detect high levels of cholesterol. Without testing, there is no way to identify the high cholesterol, making a heart attack with no warning very likely.

How is high cholesterol treated?

The first step is to always make lifestyle changes that will lower the risk of cardiovascular disease like changing your diet or increasing physical activity.

For people that are at a higher risk of heart attacks, statins or other medications may be prescribed. Some examples available in the US include:

Atorvastatin
Fluvastatin
Lovastatin
Pravastatin
Rosuvastatin calcium
Simvastatin

Other medications include:

Selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors
Resins
Fibrates
Niacin

Recent research is now finding newer methods like Ezetimibe, which is a drug that reduces lipid levels and reduces the risk of major coronary events. Another study unraveled another type of drug called pro-protein convertase subtilisin. In addition to Ezetimibe, this type of drug can do wonders with reducing cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol in Foods.

There have been studies that have identified foods that actively reduce cholesterol levels, including:

Oats
Barley and whole grains
Eggplant
Okra
Beans
Nuts
Vegetable oils
Soy and soy based foods
Fatty fish like Salmon
Fiber rich foods
Fruits

The foods to most definitely avoid include:

Red meat
Full-fat dairy
Margarine
Baked goods

How to prevent high cholesterol?

Major changes that should be made to lower risk of high cholesterol include:

Eating a heart healthy diet- This includes a reduced intake of trans and saturated fats. Decreasing intake of red and processed meat, whole milk products, sugar, and sodium and replacing it with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts can reduce lipid levels.
Regular exercise- Sedentary lifestyle decreases HDL levels which causes an increase in bad cholesterol in the arteries. Physical activity of at least 150 minutes per week can aid in reverting this change.
Avoiding smoking- Smoking and vaping lowers the HDL levels in one’s body which causes an increased risk of coronary disease. By quitting, LDL is produced less and HDL levels increase, protecting the arteries and lowering total cholesterol.
Achieving a healthy weight- losing weight may improve cholesterol levels.

ONLINE DOCTOR CONSULTATION FOR CHOLESTEROL

If you or someone in your family have concerns about your Cholesterol levels, please contact and seek help from our doctors online.

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