Cholesterol is a fatty substance that occurs naturally in our body. We need cholesterol to manufacture, for example, hormones, bile acids and vitamin D. But high blood cholesterol levels can be dangerous, as it can accumulate in the arteries and lead to a cholesterol deposit in the artery walls known as atherosclerosis.
This deposit in the arteries gives rise to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is currently the leading cause of mortality in our society. Atherosclerosis includes coronary heart disease or angina and myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease or stroke, and peripheral artery disease. Therefore, high cholesterol is a cardiovascular risk factor, together with smoking, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity.
There are two types of cholesterol, and our habits and diet influence the levels of both:
- LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol: The higher the level of LDL cholesterol in the blood, the higher the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- HDL cholesterol or “good” cholesterol. A low level of HDL cholesterol also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Causes of high cholesterol
There are several causes that can increase LDL cholesterol, and they can be divided according to whether they are intrinsic factors in the body or whether they can be modified:
- Causes that cannot be modified: heredity determines cholesterol levels. It begins to rise around the age of 20 and continues to rise until the age of 60 or 65. Normally, cholesterol in men before the age of 50 tends to be higher than in women of the same age. But after the age of 50, the opposite occurs and the highest cholesterol levels are found in women.
- Causes that can be modified: our diet is one of the factors that most affect our cholesterol levels. Saturated fats present in foods of animal origin and in some vegetable oils, such as palm and coconut oil, should be moderated in our diet. It is also advisable to avoid trans fatty acids, which are mainly found in foods made with hydrogenated oils and fats, such as industrial pastries, snacks and ice cream.
On the other hand, excess weight tends to increase LDL cholesterol, as well as lowering HDL or good cholesterol, and increases triglycerides, which are a type of fat whose abundance in the body considerably increases cardiovascular risk.
Atherosclerosis as a consequence
Maintaining high cholesterol levels is risky and can lead to serious consequences due to the accumulation of atherosclerosis plaque.
Some of the excess cholesterol can be deposited on the wall of the arteries in any part of the body, forming atherosclerosis plaque. This plaque can narrow the vessels and make them less flexible. If it occurs in the coronary arteries and these are blocked by plaque, blood is prevented from reaching the heart, which causes chest pain or angina.
Some plaques with a lot of cholesterol become unstable and can release cholesterol and fat into the bloodstream, which can cause a thrombus over the plaque that impedes blood flow in the artery causing a myocardial infarction. If this happens in the arteries of the brain, we can suffer a stroke or cerebral infarction.
How to lower cholesterol levels
Lowering cholesterol concentrations has been shown to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, stroke and serious cardiovascular disease. Hypercholesterolemias are accumulations of cholesterol in the blood above normal levels, and there are non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures to treat them.
A cholesterol-lowering diet, reducing foods that raise bad cholesterol and avoiding tobacco and alcohol, is decisive. But when these good habits are not enough, we need to resort to drugs.
To define the most appropriate solution for your case, you should consult a specialist in Cardiology. He or she will suggest the best measures to control your cholesterol, as each person requires a more or less strict control depending on his or her characteristics.