200 million people in the world, from Europe, USA to Asia and Africa, men - 65%, women - 35%. All these are the results of monitoring research centers regarding the number of people suffering from hypercholesterolemia around the world.
What is this disease?
In answering this question, all sources and doctors agree: hypercholesterolemia is a blood condition with a very high level of cholesterol, or, in other words, a fat-like substance.
Cholesterol is one of the components of cell membranes. It is needed for the structure of bile acids, without which normal digestion is impossible, it enters our body with food, and is produced by our liver. With the help of it, sex and adrenal hormones are formed. In the article we will consider what is hypercholesterolemia andwhat are the causes of this disease.
Causes of high cholesterol
Where does high cholesterol come from? The reasons may be very different. For example, one of the main ones is the ingestion of this substance into the body with high-calorie foods. Due to the high content of cholesterol in food, fats settle on the walls of blood vessels, resulting in the formation of plaques that impede the movement of blood, thereby increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke. Recently, it is because of malnutrition that cases of diagnosing hypercholesterolemia have become more frequent. In addition, changes in the hormonal level and nervousness can cause an increase in this substance.
Basically, this disease is hereditary. In this case, cholesterol levels are very high and genetically determined. Hereditary hypercholesterolemia is a disease caused by a defect in the gene responsible for encoding the structure and function of the B/E apoprotein receptor. In people suffering from a heterozygous form of familial hypercholesterolemia (1 patient per 350-500 people), only half of the B / E receptors function, so the level almost doubles (up to 9-12 mmol / l). Hypothyroidism, long-term use of drugs (steroids, diuretics, etc.) and diabetes mellitus are considered to be particular risk factors for the onset of the disease.
Symptoms
The biggest insidiousness is that a person does not feel specifically expressed symptoms. Without changing the lifestyle, the patient may simply not pay attention tosymptoms. At this time, the level of cholesterol in the blood increases. If a high rate persists for a long time, the beginning hypercholesterolemia symptoms will have the following:
- Xanthoma - nodules of sufficient density over the tendons.
- Xanthelasmas - appear as subcutaneous deposits under the eyelids. These are dense yellow nodules that are difficult to distinguish from other skin areas.
- Lipoid arch of the cornea of the eyes - a rim of cholesterol (white or grayish-white).
With atherosclerosis caused by high cholesterol, the symptoms of organ damage are already significantly pronounced and exacerbated.
Types of tests
Hypercholesterolemia is an indicator that is detected exclusively in the laboratory as a result of a special blood test. There are two types of tests - a psychological history and a laboratory study. They, in turn, are also divided into several types, which we will consider below.
Psychological history
- Analysis of information about the disease and complaints. It's about when xanthoma, xanthelasma, lipoid corneal arch were discovered.
- Analysis of life information. Issues of illnesses of the patient and his relatives, contacts with causative agents of illnesses are discussed.
- Physical examination. In this case, it is possible to notice xanthoma, xanthelasma. Blood pressure may be elevated.
Laboratory analysis for cholesterol
- Urine and blood tests. It is necessary to carry out to detect the inflammatory process.
- Biochemical analysis. Thus, the levels of sugar and blood protein, creatinine, uric acid are determined. The result data provides information about possible organ damage.
- Lipidogram is the main diagnostic method. This is an analysis for cholesterol-lipids, or as they are called fat-like substances. What is it? There are two types of lipids - which contribute to the development of atherosclerosis (pro-atherogenic), and prevent (lipoproteins). With their ratio, the coefficient of atherogenicity is calculated. If it is above 3, then the risk of atherosclerosis is high.
- Immunological analysis. This study determines the amount of antibodies in the blood. These are special proteins that are produced by the body and have the ability to destroy foreign elements.
- Genetic. It is carried out to detect genes that are carriers of hereditary information that are responsible for the development of transmissible hypercholesterolemia.
Diseases associated with hypercholesterolemia
The symptoms of this disease may not affect a person's life in any way and remain invisible for a long time. However, rising steadily, cholesterol levels cause serious consequences. The risk of many serious diseases and complications increases. These include: atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities, gallstones, cerebrovascular accident, aneurysms, memory impairment, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke. Significantly high cholesterolcomplicates the treatment of hypertension and diabetes. All of these diseases are the main causes of high mortality worldwide. The medical community is seriously concerned about finding ways to effectively lower blood cholesterol levels as one of the ways to reduce mortality.
Consequences
Any doctor will say that if there is high cholesterol in the blood, the consequences in the future will lead to a number of complications. Atherosclerosis (a chronic disease) is considered the main one - thickening of the arterial walls and narrowing of their lumen, which can lead to impaired blood supply. Depending on how the vessels containing atherosclerotic plaques are located, the following forms of the disease are distinguished:
- Atherosclerosis of the aorta - leads to a prolonged increase in blood pressure and contributes to the formation of heart defects: narrowing and insufficiency (inability to prevent blood circulation) of the aortic valve.
- Atherosclerosis of the heart vessels (ischemic disease) leads to the development of diseases such as:
- myocardial infarction (death of part of the heart muscle due to the cessation of blood flow to it);
- heart rhythm disorder;
- heart defects (structural disorders of the heart);
- heart failure (poor blood supply to organs at rest and exercise, often accompanied by blood stasis);
- atherosclerosis of blood vessels in the brain - impairs mental activity, and with complete blockage of the vesselleads to a stroke (death of a part of the brain);
- atherosclerosis of the arteries in the kidneys, resulting in arterial hypertension;
- atherosclerosis of the intestinal arteries can cause intestinal infarction;
- atherosclerosis of vessels in the lower extremities leads to intermittent claudication.
Complications
Atherosclerosis has two types of complications: chronic and acute. As a result of the first atherosclerotic plaque leads to a narrowing of the lumen of the vessel. Since plaques form rather slowly, chronic ischemia appears, in which nutrients and oxygen are supplied in insufficient quantities. Acute complications are the appearance of blood clots (blood clots), embolism (blood clots that have come off from the place of origin, transferred by blood, vasospasm). There is an extremely acute closure of the lumen of the vessels, which is accompanied by vascular insufficiency (acute ischemia), which leads to a heart attack of various organs.
Treatment
When diagnosed with "hypercholesterolemia" - treatment should begin first with a strict diet. It consists in the complete rejection of the use of foods with a large capacity of fats and cholesterol (butter, sour cream, egg yolks, jelly, liver) and an increase in the amount of carbohydrates, and especially fiber. Meat can only be eaten boiled, a lot of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, fish and seafood should be included in the diet. Together with the diet, they are determined with physical exercises, which will make it possible to reducethe negative impact of cholesterol entering the body. You can practice almost any sport (morning jogging, swimming, cycling, skiing). A subscription to the gym, fitness or aerobics will not hurt. If you combine diet and exercise correctly, it is possible to reduce cholesterol by up to 10%, which, in turn, will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 2%.
Also, the doctor may prescribe drug treatment with special drugs called statins. They are specifically designed to reduce blood cholesterol, because they are highly effective and can be used for long-term treatment (there are practically no side effects). In practice, the following statins are used: Rosuvastatin, Simvastin, Lovastatin, fluvastatin sodium, Atorvastatin calcium. If we give a general description of statins, we can say that they reduce the risk of stroke, re-infarction. During the use of these drugs, it is necessary to conduct a biochemical blood test. This is done in order to stop taking them in case of normalization of cholesterol levels. It is imperative to know that hypercholesterolemia is a disease when it is strictly forbidden to self-medicate with statins. Only the attending physician prescribes a course of treatment with these drugs, terms and doses.
Prevention
Prevention before the onset of hypercholesterolemia is basically a set of interventions that can be used to change risk factors - weight control, a strict diet,enriched with fiber and vitamins, stopping alcohol, smoking cigarettes, which reduces the risk of developing coronary disease by several times, active physical activity, optimal glucose levels, pressure. For people who already have elevated cholesterol levels, preventive measures are taken with medication. With any prevention, moderate exercise and spiritual peace have not hurt anyone yet.
