High Blood Fats

Hyperlipidemia

Hyperlipidemia means high blood lipid levels. These lipids include cholesterol, cholesterol esters, phospholipids and triglycerides. Hyperlipidemia can be further characterized according to the type of lipid that is present in the blood stream. For example, hypercholesterolemia is the term for high cholesterol levels in the blood. Hypertriglyceridemia refers to high triglyceride levels in the blood.

Risk factors for hyperlipidemia include excess body weight, high-fat diets, and genetics. These conditions can be prevented or treated with diet, exercise, specialized medications, or a combination of all three interventions. Overweight or obese people may be able to normalize their blood lipid levels through weight loss. Some people have a genetic condition that causes their body to make excessive amounts of blood lipids. Diet and exercise can help lower their lipid levels, but those individuals almost always need to use medications to keep their blood lipids in normal levels.

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, originally designed to treat high blood pressure, has been proven to treat hyperlipidemia as well.

Key elements of the diet include an abundance of fruits and vegetables, sensible amounts of whole grains, two or more servings of low-fat or non-fat diary products, lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, and legumes.

High Cholesterol

High cholesterol, more properly known as hypercholesterolemia, is a common condition in the US. High blood cholesterol levels are found in people who gain too much weight, consume too many animal-derived, high-fat foods, or, in some cases, have a genetic condition that predisposes their livers to make too much cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a soft waxy lipid substance. It has a bad reputation because of the role high cholesterol levels play in cardiovascular disease. However, cholesterol is an essential component of the body's cell membranes. It is also used to produce some hormones and to make bile for fat digestion.

Your body cholesterol comes from two sources, the amount made by your body, primarily by your liver, and the amount absorbed from foods. Because cholesterol is part of animal cell membranes, it is found in all foods derived from animal flesh. The body can use saturated fats absorbed from food to synthesize cholesterol. Thus, diets high in saturated fat can also lead to elevated blood cholesterol levels. According to the American Heart Association, the average American male consumes about 337 milligrams of cholesterol a day and the average woman, 217 milligrams.

Cholesterol circulates in your blood stream in two forms: LDL (low density lipoprotein) and HDL (high density lipoprotein). These names refer to the type of carrier molecule that carries the cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood stream where it combines with other substances and forms a sticky substance called plaque on the inside of the arteries. High levels of plaque can block blood flow through the arteries, leading to heart attack and stroke.

HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol out of the arteries and back to the liver where it is eventually excreted. For this reason, HDL is referred to as "good cholesterol." Many people find the terms low and high density lipoprotein counterintuitive. If high blood cholesterol is bad, it seems like a lot of HDL (high density lipoprotein), should be undesirable as well, but the reverse is true. An easier way to remember which cholesterol is safe is to think of LDL as "lousy cholesterol" and HDL as "healthy cholesterol."

Healthcare providers characterize blood cholesterol three ways, LDL, HDL and total. Total cholesterol is a combination of HDL and LDL numbers. The goal is to have low total and LDL cholesterol and relatively high HDL cholesterol. The desirable range for cholesterol is: HDL of 60 mg/dL or higher, LDL of less than 100 mg/dL, and total cholesterol of less than 200 mg/dL.

As with other hyperlipidemias, high cholesterol can be prevented or treated with diet, exercise, specialized medications, or a combination of all three interventions. Overweight or obese people may be able to normalize their blood cholesterol levels through weight loss. Some people have a genetic condition that causes their body to make excessive amounts of cholesterol. They usually need to use all three approaches.

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, originally designed to treat high blood pressure, has been shown to treat hyperlipidemias. Key elements of the diet include an abundance of fruits and vegetables, sensible amounts of whole grains, two or more servings of low-fat or non-fat diary products, lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, and legumes.