Is your cholesterol level high? Let's talk about Hyperlipidemia!

You've probably heard the word 'cholesterol' a lot, right? But when your doctor says 'hyperlipidemia', you might be a little confused. Don't worry, these two terms mean pretty much the same thing. Simply put, it means that your blood has an increased amount of fat, or 'lipids' as we call them. This is a very common condition that is now seen among many people in our country.

What are the types of lipids in the blood?

There are several types of fats, or lipids, in our blood. Imagine that our blood is like a road. There are good cars and bad cars on this road.

• HDL cholesterol: This is the "good cholesterol." It's like a garbage truck. It picks up unwanted cholesterol that's built up in your blood vessels and delivers it to the liver. The liver removes that unwanted cholesterol from your body. So having a good HDL level is very good for your body.

• LDL cholesterol: This is what we call "bad cholesterol." It's like a car leaving garbage everywhere on the road. This LDL cholesterol sticks to the walls of our blood vessels. Over time, these build up and start to block the inside of the blood vessels. This paves the way for major diseases like heart disease and stroke.

• Triglycerides: This is another type of fat in our blood. They are mainly produced by the fatty and sugary foods we eat. Too much of these is not good for the body.

• VLDL cholesterol: Like LDL, this is considered a type of "bad" cholesterol. When it is high, it also increases the risk of heart disease.

Why do we develop Hyperlipidemia? What are the causes?

There are several reasons for this. Some are things we can control, but some are things we can't.

What are the symptoms of hyperlipidemia?

The most important and somewhat scary thing here is this: Many people with this condition do not show any symptoms at first.

But problems start to arise when fat builds up inside the blood vessels and blocks them, leaving them untreated for a long time. This can lead to serious conditions like:

• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): The blood vessels that supply blood to the heart become narrowed due to fatty deposits. This prevents the heart from getting the oxygen and nutrients it needs. This can cause chest pain (angina) or a heart attack.
• Heart Attack: Fatty plaques (plaques) that have built up in the blood vessels can suddenly rupture and form a blood clot. If this blood clot completely blocks blood flow to a part of the heart, it is a heart attack. Symptoms may include severe chest pain, pain radiating to the jaw, shoulder, or arm, sweating, and difficulty breathing. If you experience these symptoms, you should go to a hospital's emergency room (ETU) immediately.
• Stroke: Similar to a heart attack, a stroke occurs when a blood clot breaks loose and blocks an artery supplying blood to the brain. Symptoms may include sudden, severe headache, difficulty speaking, weakness on one side of the body, and vision loss. This is also a medical emergency.
• Fatty deposits on the skin: These are often seen in cases of familial high cholesterol. They can appear as yellow lumps near the eyelids (xanthelasmas) or lumps on the elbows, knees, and hands (xanthomas).

How do you diagnose this?

The only way to know if you have hyperlipidemia is to have a blood test . This is called a 'Lipid Profile' or 'Lipid Panel'. This test is usually done after you have fasted for 9-12 hours.

Your doctor will consider factors such as your age, other medical conditions, and family medical history to determine whether your cholesterol levels are at risk.

How do we control this situation?

There are two main parts to controlling this. One is to change our lifestyle. The other is to take medication as prescribed by a doctor, if necessary.

1. Lifestyle Changes

These are the things you can do yourself. These are the most important part of treatment.

• Good diet: Reduce foods high in saturated fats and trans fats. Limit the use of coconut oil and palm oil. Reduce fried foods, red meat, cheese, butter, cakes, and biscuits. Instead, eat more fiber-rich foods . Oats, brown rice, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, chickpeas, and lentils are all good.
• Eat fish: Eating oily fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines at least two days a week can help lower triglycerides.
• Exercise: Get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming. If you find it difficult to do it all at once, break it up into 10-15 minute segments and do it several times a day.
• Stop smoking and drinking alcohol: Quitting smoking will increase your good cholesterol (HDL). It is also essential to completely stop or severely limit alcohol consumption.
• Control your weight: If you are overweight, losing weight is a great help in controlling cholesterol.
• Manage stress: Maintain mental well-being through things like meditation and yoga.

2. Medications given by the doctor

Sometimes, even lifestyle changes may not be enough to control your cholesterol levels. In such cases, your doctor will prescribe medication.

• Statins: This is the most commonly used class of drugs to lower cholesterol. They work by reducing the production of cholesterol in the liver.
• Other medications: In addition to statins, there are other medications such as Ezetimibe, Fibrates, and PCSK9 inhibitors. Your doctor will decide which medication is best for you.

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