2009-11-02 14:23:59 -
Tackling High Cholesterol www.medicarefinance.com
The medical term for high blood cholesterol and triglycerides is lipid disorder. Such a disorder occurs when you have too many fatty substances in your blood. These substances include cholesterol andtriglycerides.
A lipid disorder increases your risk for atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Alternative Names
Lipid disorders; Hyperlipoproteinemia; Hyperlipidemia; Dyslipidemia; Hypercholesterolemia
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
High cholesterol and other lipid disorders can be inherited (passed
down through families) or associated with:
* Fatty diets
* Disease such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome, and kidney failure
* Certain medications, including birth control pills, estrogen, corticosteroids, certain diuretics, and beta blockers
* Lifestyle factors, including inactivity and regular, excessive alcohol use
If you smoke and also have high cholesterol, you have an even greater risk for heart disease.
Lipid disorders are more common in men than women.
Signs and tests
Tests to diagnose a lipid disorder may include:
* Lipoprotein test
* Lipoprotein-a analysis
* HDL test
* LDL test
Treatment
How you are treated depends on your age, health history, if you smoke, and other risk factors for heart disease, such as:
* Diabetes
* Poorly controlled high blood pressure
* Family history of heart disease
There are steps that everyone can take to improve their cholesterol levels, and help prevent heart disease and heart attack. Here are the most important ones:
* Choose foods low in saturated fat.
* Exercise regularly.
* Lose weight if you are overweight.
* Get routine health checkups and cholesterol screenings.
If lifestyle changes do not help or your cholesterol level remains very high, your doctor may may recommend medication. There are several types of drugs available to help lower blood cholesterol levels, and they work in different ways. Some are better at loweringLDL cholesterol, some are good at lowering triglycerides, while others help raise HDL cholesterol.
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