Silent Killer: Hyperlipidaemia, You Are Not an Exception
Your healthy bodily functions start to break down after the age of 40. In particular, office workers have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as fatty livers, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia due to frequent drinking, nightly overtime and lack of exercise. Among these chronic diseases, today we will talk about hyperlipidaemia.
Lipids in the blood can be categorised into three types: neutral fat, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). Typically, total cholesterol means the sum of HDL and LDL. Hyperlipidaemia involves abnormally elevated levels of any or all lipids in the blood. Hyperlipidaemia is dangerous because it is the main culprit of arteriosclerosis. As cholesterol builds up in and on artery walls, blood vessels stiffen and thicken, restricting blood flow to other organs. As a consequence, arteriosclerosis can lead to stroke, stenocardia and myocardial infarction. Therefore, the cholesterol levels should be appropriately maintained.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that circulates in your blood. It is an essential structural component of all animal cell membranes. Furthermore, cholesterol serves as a precursor for the biosynthesis of hormones and regulates lipid metabolism. In order for the human body to function properly, a small amount of cholesterol is needed, which the liver is able to produce. Alongside this, the body may also take in cholesterol from foods, for instance meat and related animal products including milk, cheese, eggs and butter, which contain high levels of saturated fat or cholesterol.
What does cholesterol do in the human body?
As time goes by, excessive cholesterol in the blood can stick to blood vessel walls. As I previously mentioned, this build-up can narrow or even block the blood vessels, causing cardiovascular problems or heart attacks.
Good cholesterol (HDL) vs Bad cholesterol (LDL)
Cholesterol cannot dissolve in the blood, and so travels through the blood attached to a protein. This cholesterol-protein package is called a lipoprotein. Depending on the type of lipoprotein, cholesterol has different roles. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), so-called “bad” cholesterol, carry endogenous cholesterol from the liver to tissues, while high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), so-called “good” cholesterol, transport endogenous cholesterol from tissues to the liver. In this sense, high levels of LDL build up cholesterol on blood vessels, whereas high levels of HDL can protect blood vessels from forming plaque.
Eventually, an increase in HDL can slow down the progress of arteriosclerosis. In order to avoid arteriosclerosis, it is desirable to raise your HDL cholesterol while reducing LDL cholesterol.
What are normal cholesterol levels?
A desirable level of total cholesterol is less than 200mg/dL. A cholesterol level of above 240mg/dL is considered high, with 200mg/dL to 239mg/dL being borderline-high. The risk of heart disease is proportionate to the level of cholesterol. However, other risk factors of arteriosclerosis (such as high blood pressure and smoking) should be taken into account when determining an individuals’ risk of disease.
‘Bad cholesterol’ (LDL cholesterol) (mg/dL)
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‘good cholesterol’ (HDL cholesterol) (mg/dL)
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‘Total cholesterol’ (HDL cholesterol) (mg/dL)
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Treatment of hyperlipidaemia
Dietary management is the basic and primary treatment for hyperlipidaemia. Continuous dietary management is required to maintain good nutrition, whilst at the same time curtailing the level of lipids in the blood. Basically, the consumption of cholesterol (at less than 300ml/dL a day) and saturated fatty acids should be cut down. Moreover, obese patients need to decrease their excessive calorie consumption and increase their exercise intensity so that they can lose weight gradually (1~2kg per month).
| Foods to choose |
Fresh fruits, leafy green vegetables, Bread and cereals made of whole grains, low fat and low cholesterol foods such as pasta and rice |
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| Foods to limit or avoid |
Fatty marbled meat, egg yolk, fish eggs, butter, chicken skin, Some crustaceans (shrimp, crayfish, squid), organ meats (calves, pig or chicken liver) |
Exercise
Before starting any exercise program, consulting a doctor is important. Exercise can boost energy levels and can also be helpful in cutting down the level of cholesterol. It is important to frequently partake in physical activity according to your liking. Walking can be an effective and simple exercise for beginners. You could also go swimming, dancing or bike-riding. If you can find a workout partner, it will make exercising more fun and keep you motivated to stick to your plan.
Medication
There are four types of drugs that are mainly used to decrease lipids in the body, including cholesterol: statins, bile-acid resins, nicotinic acid and fibric acid derivatives. These lipid-lowering agents inhibit the production of cholesterol, and statins are most widely used.
Once the level of cholesterol has been reduced via medication, the risk of cardiovascular diseases declines accordingly. It has already been proven that this medication is effective not only for patients with cardiovascular diseases, but also as a preventative measure for healthy people. Furthermore, it was reported that these drugs can diminish the related death rate. In this regard, I would say that it is important to manage good health through active treatment and consultation with doctors.