Hypercholesterolemia is ... Elevated cholesterol. Hereditary hypercholesterolemia

200 million people in the world, from Europe, the US to Asia and Africa, men - 65%, women - 35%. All this results from the monitoring of research centers regarding the number of people suffering from hypercholesterolemia all over the world.

What kind of ailment is this?

In response to this question, all sources and doctors are solid: hypercholesterolemia is a state of blood with a very high cholesterol level or, in other words, a fatty substance.

Cholesterol is one of the constituents of cell membranes. It is needed for the structure of bile acids, without which normal digestion is impossible, gets to us in the body together with food, and is produced by our liver. With the help of it, sexual and adrenal hormones are formed. In the article, we will consider what is hypercholesterolemia and what are the causes of this ailment.

Causes of high cholesterol

Where does high cholesterol come from ? The reasons can be very different. For example, one of the main is the ingestion of this substance into the body with high-calorie food. Due to the high content of cholesterol in food, fats settle on the walls of the vessels, resulting in the formation of plaques that impede the movement of blood, thereby increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Recently, it is because of malnutrition that cases of diagnosing hypercholesterolemia have become more frequent. In addition, the increase in this substance can be caused by changes at the hormonal level and nervousness.

Basically, this disease is hereditary. In this case, the cholesterol values are very high and genetically determined. Hereditary hypercholesterolemia is a disease that is caused by a defect in the gene responsible for the encoding of the structure and function of the receptor to the apoprotein B / E. In people with a heterozygous form of familial hypercholesterolemia (1 patient per 350-500 people), only half of the V / E receptors function, so the level increases almost twofold (up to 9-12 mmol / l). Factors of special risk for the appearance of the disease are hypothyroidism, long-term use of drugs (steroids, diuretics, etc.) and diabetes mellitus.

Symptoms

The greatest insidiousness lies in the fact that the person expresses no particular symptoms. Without changing the way of life, the patient may simply not pay attention to the symptoms. At this time, blood levels of cholesterol are increasing. If the high index persists for a long time, the beginning of hypercholesterolemia symptoms will have the following:

• Xanthoma - nodules of sufficient density over the tendons.
• Xantelasm - appear in the form of subcutaneous deposits under the eyelids. These are dense nodules of yellow color, which are difficult to distinguish from other skin areas.
• Lipoid arc of the cornea of the eyes - a rim of cholesterol (white or grayish white).

With atherosclerosis, the cause of which is elevated cholesterol, the symptoms of organ damage are already pronounced and exacerbated.

Types of analyzes

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 anamnesis and a laboratory study. They, in turn, are also subdivided into several species, which we will consider below.

Psychological anamnesis

1. Analysis of information about the disease and complaints. It's about when the xanthomes, xanthelasm, lipoid cornea arc were discovered.
2. Analysis of life information. Discusses the issues of illnesses of the patient and his relatives, contacts with pathogens of illnesses.
3. Physical examination. It is possible to notice xanthomas, xanthelasms. Blood pressure may be increased.

Laboratory analysis for cholesterol

1. Urine and blood tests. It is necessary to conduct to detect the inflammatory process.
2. Biochemical analysis. Thus, the levels of sugar and protein of blood, creatinine, uric acid are determined. The results of the data give information about possible organ damage.
3. Lipidogram is the main method of diagnosis. This is an analysis of cholesterol-lipids, or as they are called fat-like substances. What is it? There are two kinds of lipids - which promote the development of atherosclerosis (proaterogenic), and obstructing (lipoproteins). At their ratio, the coefficient of atherogenicity is calculated. If it is higher than 3, then the risk of atherosclerosis is high.
4. 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.
5. Genetic. It is carried out to detect genes that carry hereditary information, which are responsible for the development of transmitted hypercholesterolemia.

Diseases associated with hypercholesterolemia

Symptoms of this disease can not affect the life of a person and for a long time remain invisible. However, steadily rising, the level of cholesterol causes serious consequences. The risk of many serious illnesses and complications increases. These include: atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities, gallstones, cerebral circulation, aneurysms, memory disorders, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke. High cholesterol significantly hampers the treatment of hypertension and diabetes. All these ailments are the main causes of high mortality in the world. The medical community is seriously concerned about finding ways to effectively lower the level of cholesterol in the blood as one of the directions that contribute to reducing the death rate of the population.

Effects

Any doctor will say that if there is elevated cholesterol in the blood, the consequences in the future will lead to a number of complications. The main consideration is atherosclerosis (chronic disease) - condensation of the arterial walls and narrowing of their lumen, which can lead to a violation of blood supply. Depending on how the vessels containing atherosclerotic plaques are located, these forms of the disease are distinguished:

1. Atherosclerosis of the aorta - leads to a prolonged increase in blood pressure and promotes the formation of heart defects: constriction and insufficiency (impossibility to impede circulation of blood) of the aortic valve.
2. Atherosclerosis of the heart vessels (ischemic disease) leads to the development of such diseases as:

• Myocardial infarction (death of a 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 in a state of rest and exercise, which is often accompanied by blood congestion);
• Atherosclerosis of blood vessels in the brain - worsens mental activity, and with complete blockage of the vessel leads to a stroke (death of the brain area);
• Atherosclerosis of the arteries in the kidneys, the result is hypertension;
• Atherosclerosis of intestinal arteries can cause a bowel infarction;
• Atherosclerosis of the vessels in the lower limbs leads to intermittent claudication.

Complications

Atherosclerosis has two types of complications: chronic and acute. As a result, the first atherosclerotic plaque leads to a narrowing of the lumen of the vessel. Since the plaques form slowly enough, chronic ischaemia appears, in which nutrients and oxygen are not supplied in sufficient quantities. Acute complications are the appearance of thrombi (blood clots), embolus (blood clots that detached 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 as "hypercholesterolemia" - treatment should start with a strict diet first. It consists in a complete refusal to eat foods with high fat and cholesterol (butter, sour cream, egg yolks, cold meat, liver) and increase the amount of carbohydrates, especially fiber. Meat can only be eaten boiled, should include in the diet a lot of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, fish and seafood. Together with diet are determined with physical exercises, which will make it possible to reduce the negative impact of cholesterol entering the body. You can practice almost any sport (morning jogging, swimming, cycling, skiing). Do not interfere with the subscription to the gym, fitness or aerobics. If you correctly combine diet and exercise, you can reduce the cholesterol to 10%, which, in turn, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 2%.

Also, a doctor can prescribe medication with special medications called statins. They are specifically designed to reduce cholesterol in the blood, because they are highly effective and can be used for long-term treatment (side effects are practically absent). In practice, the following statins are used: "Rosuvastatin", "Simvastin", "Lovastatin", fluvastatin sodium, "Atorvastatin calcium". If we give a general characterization of statins, then we can say that they reduce the risk of stroke, a 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 if the level of cholesterol is normalized. It is necessary to know that hypercholesterolemia is a disease when it is strictly forbidden to engage in self-medication with statins. Prescribes a course of treatment with these drugs, terms and doses only by the attending physician.

Prevention

Preventive maintenance before occurrence of hypercholesterolemia basically is a complex of influences by means of which it is possible to change risk factors - the control of body weight, the strict diet enriched with a fat and vitamins, the termination of the use of alcohol, smoking of cigarettes that leads to reduction of risk of development of an ischemic illness several times, active Physical loads, optimal glucose values, pressure. For people who already have an elevated cholesterol level, prophylaxis is carried out with the help of medications. With any prophylaxis, no one has ever been harmed by moderate physical activity and spiritual peace.