Hypercholesterolemia has a direct impact on cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol is a fat molecule found in the blood and cells and, depending on the type of lipoprotein, there is “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol.
Good cholesterol is the one that travels towards the liver and will be metabolized. This means that the body is expelling cholesterol from the blood, hence higher values are positive. On the other hand, the cholesterol commonly known as “bad”, circulates in the direction of the cells and is the one that the cells resort to when they need cholesterol.
The sum of both types gives rise to total cholesterol. A person is said to have hypercholesterolemia when total cholesterol is above 200mg/dl.
Causes of hypercholesterolemia
There are several causes of elevated blood cholesterol levels. The main one is genetic inheritance. This is familial hypercholesterolemia and occurs when the body autonomously generates more cholesterol than recommended.
Bad eating habits are another of the most frequent causes. Eating a diet based on saturated fats and sugars leads to an increase in cholesterol. Other factors are diabetes, obesity or smoking.
High cholesterol is dangerous
The problem of having high bad cholesterol in the blood comes when there is much more than the cells need, then the cholesterol has to accumulate inside the arteries. When this happens we talk about the formation of “atheroma plaque”. This causes the walls of the arteries to become stiffer and thicker, making the passage of blood more difficult and causing an increase in blood pressure.
The dangers of having high cholesterol in the blood are diverse, from the formation of thrombi to causing cell death by necrosis of the tissues that have stopped receiving blood. But undoubtedly one of the greatest consequences of having high cholesterol is myocardial infarction or heart attack.
Treatment, an adequate diet
To avoid negative outcomes, high cholesterol must be tackled immediately and on several fronts. First of all, it is necessary to change habits that favor the risk of cardiovascular disease, i.e. smoking, drinking alcohol, being overweight or obese and watching what you eat.
Diet is one of the key pillars in the fight against the disease.
Any diet to reduce cholesterol should be rich in fiber, since it decreases the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, unsaturated fatty acids that increase good cholesterol, and in antioxidants, especially vitamin C and E.
It is also recommended to moderate the consumption of eggs and sugar, avoid eating fried and fatty foods and completely eliminate all types of industrial pastries.