WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?

The Cholesterol is a fatty substance naturally present in every cell of the human body necessary for normal functioning organism. Most of the cholesterol is produced in the liver, although it is also obtained through some foods.

Let's define its role:

  • It is involved in the formation of bile acids, vital for the digestion of fats.
  • The sun's rays transform it into vitamin D to protect the skin from chemical agents and prevent dehydration.
  • From it certain hormones are formed, such as sexual and thyroid hormones.

CHOLESTEROL TYPES

The blood carries cholesterol from the intestine or liver to the organs that need it and does so by binding to particles called lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins:

  • Low-density (LDL) : they are responsible for transporting new cholesterol from the liver to all the cells of our body.
  • High-density (HDL) : collect unused cholesterol and return it to the liver for storage or excretion to the outside through the bile.

According to this interaction we can speak of two types of cholesterol:

  • Bad cholesterol: cholesterol, when it binds to the LDL particle, is deposited on the wall of the arteries and forms atheroma plaques.
  • Good cholesterol: cholesterol by binding to the HDL particle carries excess cholesterol back to the liver to be destroyed.

WHY IS IT A RISK FACTOR?

  • If your blood levels rise, they cause hypercholesterolemia. It has been shown that people with blood cholesterol levels of 240 have twice the risk of suffering a heart attack than those with figures of 200.
  • When the cells are unable to absorb all the cholesterol that circulates in the blood, the excess is deposited on the wall of the artery and contributes to its progressive narrowing, causing atherosclerosis.
  • If a patient with atheromatosis keeps his blood cholesterol levels very low, he can get that cholesterol to pass from the arterial wall back into the blood and be eliminated there. For this reason, patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction or stroke are recommended to maintain very low cholesterol levels to try to clean their arteries in this way.

Hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidaemia

The cholesterol has no symptoms or physical signs, so diagnosis can only be done by a blood test to determine cholesterol and triglycerides. It is convenient that people at risk of suffering from dyslipidaemia (alteration of the normal levels of these fats), who have relatives with ischemic heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases, undergo this test from an early age.

WHAT ARE NORMAL LEVELS OF CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES?

Total cholesterol

  • Normal : less than 200 mg / dl
  • Normal-high : between 200 and 240 mg / dl. Hypercholesterolemia is considered to be total cholesterol levels above 200 mg / dl.
  • High : above 240 mg / dl

LDL cholesterol

  • Normal : less than 100 mg / dl
  • Normal-high : 100 to 160 mg / dl
  • High : above 160 mg / dl

NOTE: This recommendation does not mean that your normal LDL number should be around 100 mg / dl. In some cases, the desirable level of LDL can be even less than 70 mg / dl.

HDL cholesterol

  • Normal : greater than 35 mg / dl in men and 40 mg / dl in women

WHAT ARE NORMAL TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS?

Triglycerides

  • Normal: less than 150 mg / dl
  • Normal-high: between 100 and 500 mg / dl. Hypertriglyceridemia is considered to be at triglyceride levels above 150-200 mg / dl
  • High: above 500 mg / dl

HOW TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL: TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

Hypercholesterolemia can be prevented by following the following recommendations:

  • With a balanced diet and without saturated fat. The Mediterranean diet is the ideal one because its fat content comes mainly from the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids present in fish and olive and seed oils. The consumption of vegetables, legumes, cereals, vegetables and fruits is also important.
  • Doing an aerobic exercise program (walking, light running, cycling, swimming ...), at moderate intensity (65-70 percent of maximum heart rate) and developed regularly (three to five sessions per week), increases HDL ( good cholesterol) and reduces LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels.

Once dyslipidemia has been diagnosed, and if diet and physical exercise fail to lower the levels by themselves, the doctor will opt for drug treatment. The choice of drugs depends on the dominant abnormality: elevated LDL (bad cholesterol); elevated triglycerides; or elevated levels in both cases. Some of the drugs for patients with high cholesterol are:

  • Statins
  • Exchange resins
  • Phytosterols
  • Fibrates
  • Ezetimibe

Diet or drugs should never be stopped until directed by your doctor.


CHOLESTEROL IN CHILDREN

There are more and more cases among children or young people who, due to an incorrect diet and sedentary lifestyle, become serious candidates for suffering from hypercholesterolemia in the future. In general, these should be the cholesterol numbers for children and adolescents:

  • Normal: less than 170 mg / dl
  • Normal-high: between 170 and 199 mg / dl
  • High: above 200 mg / dl

CHOLESTEROL IN WOMEN

During pregnancy . It is usually normal for women to suffer an alteration of lipid levels in the blood. Pregnant women should control their cholesterol levels and be extremely careful if they are patients with previous hyperlipidemias.

During menopause . There are alterations in the lipoprotein pattern related to the decrease in estrogens: HDL (good cholesterol) decreases and total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) increase. Doctors recommend hormone replacement therapy (estrogens and progesterone) or estrogen hormone therapy. Both treatments reduce the common discomforts of menopause and prevent osteoporosis. In addition, they can also occasionally raise HDL (good cholesterol) slightly and lower total cholesterol.

CHOLESTEROL AND OTHER RISK FACTORS

Cholesterol and Diabetes . Diabetes (type I and type II) can increase cholesterol levels. In fact, desirable cholesterol levels in diabetics are lower than in the general population.

Cholesterol and Obesity . Obese patients often have hypertriglyceridaemia and a low HDL (good cholesterol) level. Losing weight leads to an increase in HDL levels, a reduction in triglyceride levels, better glucose tolerance, a decrease in insulin and uric acid levels, and a decrease in blood pressure.

Cholesterol and sedentary lifestyle . Exercise is one of the general recommendations for the treatment and prevention of hypercholesterolemia. Among the positive consequences of physical exercise on the body is the improvement of lung capacity, the cardiovascular system and cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Cholesterol and Alcohol . Excessive alcohol consumption causes hypertriglyceridemia.