Alternative name:
Hyperlipidemia
What is high blood cholesterol?
What are the signs of high blood cholesterol?
What causes high blood cholesterol?
How does my doctor tell if I have high blood cholesterol?
How is high blood cholesterol treated?
What is high blood cholesterol?
High blood cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) means you have too many lipids, or fats, in your blood. These fats can build up in the arteries that carry blood to your heart and brain. Such narrowing of the arteries can cause angina, heart attack, stroke, and other health problems.
Blood cholesterol tests tell how much fat is in your blood. A total cholesterol level test measures both your LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or "bad cholesterol,") and HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or "good cholesterol") levels in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).
Normal total cholesterol levels are below 200 mg/dL. A level above 240 mg/dL is a call for immediate action.
back to top
What are the signs of high blood cholesterol?
Unless you have angina or another heart problem, a person with high blood cholesterol suffers no outward symptoms. That is why it is important to have your cholesterol level checked at least once every five years.
back to top
What causes high blood cholesterol?
Cholesterol is essential for life, and is found in the body cells of all animals, including humans. Your body needs cholesterol to work right, but produces all of the cholesterol it needs.
There are two basic kinds of cholesterol: LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or "bad cholesterol,") and HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or "good cholesterol"). LDL cholesterol builds up in the inner walls of the arteries that carry blood to your heart and brain. A high level of HDL cholesterol may protect against heart attack by carrying cholesterol away from the arteries and to the liver.
When you eat meat, eggs, and dairy products—any food that comes from an animal—you are adding cholesterol to your blood.
A diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol is just one thing that may cause high blood cholesterol. Other factors include:
| • |
Being overweight |
| • |
Not exercising regularly |
| • |
Overuse of alcohol |
| • |
Family history. High blood cholesterol can be an inherited condition. |
| • |
Age and sex. As you age, your LDL ("bad cholesterol") level rises. After age 55, women have higher LDL levels than men. |
| • |
Diseases like diabetes, hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, and kidney failure |
| • |
Medications like birth control pills, beta-blockers, estrogen, corticosteroids, and certain diuretics |
back to top
How does my doctor tell if I have high blood cholesterol?
The best test for high blood cholesterol is a fasting lipoprotein test. It breaks cholesterol levels into four groups:
| • |
Total cholesterol |
| • |
Low density lipoproteins (LDL, or "bad cholesterol") |
| • |
High density lipoproteins (HDL, or "good cholesterol") |
| • |
Triglycerides, another form of fat in your blood that raises your risk of heart problems |
Normal total cholesterol levels are below 200 mg/dL. HDL levels should be above 40 mg/dL. Triglyceride levels also should be below 200 mg/dL.
back to top
How is high blood cholesterol treated?
| Non-Surgical |
| |
Lifestyle
To reduce cholesterol in your blood: |
| |
• |
Follow a healthful diet, eating foods low in total fat and saturated fat |
| |
• |
Maintain a healthful weight |
| |
• |
Exercise at least three times a week, for 30 minutes at a stretch |
| |
Have your total cholesterol rechecked in one to two years if: |
| |
• |
Your cholesterol reading was above 240 mg/dL |
| |
• |
You have other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or being overweight |
| |
|
|
| |
Medications |
| |
• |
Statins lower LDL ("bad cholesterol") levels |
| |
• |
Bile Acid Sequestrants (seh-KWES-trants) are sometimes prescribed with statins, and help lower LDL cholesterol levels |
| |
• |
Nicotinic (Nick-o-tin-ick) Acid lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and raises HDL ("good" cholesterol) levels |
| |
• |
Fibrates lower triglyceride levels, and may increase HDL levels
|
| |
• |
Ezetimibe blocks cholesterol absorption, and lowers LDL cholesterol |
back to Conditions and Treatments
|
