Dyslipidemia: symptoms, causes and treatment

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Definition of dyslipidemia

Dyslipidemia is a condition that occurs when lipid (fat) levels in the blood are too high or too low. Lipids, along with protein and carbohydrates, are important components found in the body's cells.

Lipids are fatty substances consisting of cholesterol and triglycerides. These components are stored in the body and act as a source of energy for the body.

This term also relates to high cholesterol conditions, although dyslipidemia is actually a term that includes more than just high cholesterol.

Cholesterol itself can be divided into several types, namely good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein or HDL is good cholesterol. Normally, men have HDL levels above 40 mg / dL, while women range above 50 mg / dL.

Bad cholesterol is called low-density lipoprotein or LDL. In healthy people, you should have LDL levels below 100 mg / dL, and 70 mg / dL for people with diabetes and heart disease. Total cholesterol that should be owned by a healthy person is below 200 mg / dL.

Another component of lipids is triglycerides. Normal triglyceride levels in the body should be below 150 mg / dL.

The conditions that determine a person suffering from dyslipidemia are:

• Have high levels of LDL or bad cholesterol.
• Have low levels of HDL or good cholesterol.
• Have high triglyceride levels.

When a person has high levels of bad cholesterol, fatty plaque can build up in the arteries. Over time, the arteries can become blocked and lead to health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.

Fat buildup in the arteries can also occur due to a lack of good cholesterol levels and high levels of triglycerides in the blood.

How common is dyslipidemia?

Dyslipidemia is a fairly common condition. According to an article published in the International Journal of Gerontology, the incidence of this disease is highest in European and American countries, with an incidence of 53.7% and 47.7%, respectively.

Meanwhile, in Southeast Asian countries, this disease has an incidence rate as high as 30.3%. In Indonesia, as many as 36% of the population aged 25 years and over suffer from this disease, with 33.1% male patients and 38.2% female patients.

Dyslipidemia is a condition that can be treated by recognizing existing risk factors. To find out more information about this disease, you can consult a doctor.

Signs & symptoms of dyslipidemia

In general, sufferers do not feel any symptoms. Usually, a new patient finds out about this disease when he is being examined for other health conditions.

However, if not treated immediately, this disease can cause other health problems such as coronary artery disease and peripheral artery disease.

Both can lead to several complications, such as heart attacks and strokes. Some of the signs and symptoms that you may feel when experiencing dyslipidemia are:

• Feet hurts, especially when standing or walking.
• Chest pain.
• Chest pressure and feels tight..
• Difficulty breathing
• Pain in the neck, jaw, shoulders and back.
• Indigestion.
• Headache.
• Heart palpitations.
• A cold sweat.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Swelling in the area of ​​the legs, stomach and neck.
• Fainting.

There may be signs or symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about certain symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.

When to see a doctor?

Ask your doctor if you can do blood tests. Recommendations for the age of the first examination vary.

If the test results do not show a satisfactory range, the doctor may recommend testing at a later time. Your doctor may also recommend that you do more routine tests if you have a family history of dyslipidemia, heart disease or high blood pressure.

However, you need to be vigilant if you have chest pain, dizziness, fainting or breathing problems. This condition must get medical attention as soon as possible.

Each sufferer's body shows signs and symptoms that vary. To get the right treatment and in accordance with your health condition, always consult a doctor.

Causes of dyslipidemia

Based on the cause, this disease can be divided into two types, namely primary and secondary. Here's the explanation:

1. Primary dyslipidemia

Primary types are inherited from family members who also suffer from this disease. This type can be further divided into several subtypes, namely:

Familial combined hyperlipidemia

This type is most commonly found in dyslipidemia cases. This condition is caused by high levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

This case is found in many patients aged adolescents or 20 years and over. This type can also increase your risk of having a heart attack.

Familial hypercholesterolemia

Both are characterized by high levels of total cholesterol. You can calculate your total cholesterol by calculating your LDL and HDL cholesterol levels, along with half of your triglyceride levels.

Familial hyperapobetalipoproteinemia

In this condition, you have excessive levels of apolipoprotein B in your body. Apolipoprotein B is a type of protein found in LDL cholesterol.

2. Secondary dyslipidemia

Meanwhile, the secondary type is caused by lifestyle factors or health conditions that can affect lipid levels in your body.

Common causes of secondary dyslipidemia are:

• Obesity.
• Diabetes.
• Hypothyroidism.
• Drink excessively alcohol.
• PCOS syndrome.
• Metabolic syndrome.
• Eat lots of fatty foods.
• Cushing's Syndrome.
• Gastrointestinal inflammatory disease (IBS).
• Severe infections, such as HIV.
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Dyslipidemia is a condition that can be caused by factors that you cannot change, for example due to heredity.

The causes of inherited lipid disorders need to be reviewed if there is a family history of disease, especially if cardiovascular disease occurs in family members at a young age (under 55 years in men and under 65 years in women).

Risk factors for dyslipidemia

Dyslipidemia is a condition that can affect anyone of all ages and races. However, there are several factors that can increase a person's risk of developing this disease.

You need to know that having one or all of the risk factors does not mean that you will definitely get this disease. There is also the possibility that you will still develop this disease even though you do not have any risk factors.

The following are the risk factors that trigger the emergence of this disease:

1. Age

This disease is more common in adult and elderly patients. Your risk increases with age. For example, as you get older, it becomes increasingly difficult for your liver to regulate LDL cholesterol levels in your body.

2. Family history

If you have a family member with a history of cardiovascular disease or hyperlipidemia, you have a high chance of developing this disease.

3. Excess weight or obesity

If you are overweight, or if you have a body mass index above 30, your risk of developing cholesterol is higher.

4. Poor diet

Frequently eating saturated and unsaturated fats found in meat or certain processed products can increase your cholesterol levels. In addition, foods that are high in cholesterol, such as red meat and dairy products, can trigger this disease.

5. Inactive or lack of exercise

Exercise can stimulate the development of HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol in your body. This condition can balance total cholesterol levels by managing your body's LDL cholesterol.

Therefore, if you rarely move or don't exercise enough, you have a greater chance of developing this disease.

6. Actively smoking

Tobacco smoking has the potential to damage the walls of your blood vessels. This condition can cause lipids to accumulate more easily in the blood vessels. Smoking also lowers HDL cholesterol levels in your body.

7. Diabetics

Having high blood sugar levels can have an effect on your body's cholesterol levels. HDL cholesterol will decrease, while LDL will increase. In addition, high blood sugar also has the potential to damage the lining of your arteries.

8. Too often consuming alcohol

If you drink alcohol to excess, you are more likely to develop this disease.

Dyslipidemia complications

As previously explained, dyslipidemia is a condition in which there is an excessive accumulation of lipids in the blood vessels, especially the arteries.

This condition can lead to thickening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). The flow of blood in the arteries becomes obstructed, so that various complications can arise.

Some of the complications that can be caused by this disease are:

1. Chest pain

If the arteries that supply blood to your heart are affected (coronary arteries), you may experience chest pain (angina) and other symptoms of coronary artery disease.

2. Heart attack

Blood clots can potentially occur when an artery becomes blocked. This can cause obstructed blood flow and your heart not getting enough blood. Heart attack is also very possible.

3. Stroke

Just like a heart attack, a stroke can occur when a blood clot cuts off blood flow to your brain.

Diagnosis & treatment of dyslipidemia

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

The only way to diagnose dyslipidemia is to do a blood test. Blood tests can look at cholesterol levels and generally show:

• Total cholesterol.
• LDL cholesterol.
• HDL cholesterol.
• Triglycerides.

For the most accurate measurement, do not consume anything other than plain water for 9-12 hours before the blood sample is drawn.

We recommend that you do a blood test every year, because the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in your blood can always change. This is especially important if your doctor provides certain medications for you.

What are the treatments for dyslipidemia?

The first step to fighting dyslipidemia is lifestyle changes, such as exercising and eating a healthy diet. However, if you have made these lifestyle changes and your condition is still not improving, your doctor will recommend treatment.

The choice of specific drug or drug combination depends on a variety of factors, including individual risk factors, age, health conditions and possible side effects. Common options include:

1. Statins

Statin drugs can help block substances that the liver needs to produce cholesterol. This condition causes your liver to remove cholesterol from the blood.

Statins can also help the body reabsorb cholesterol from deposits on artery walls, so that coronary artery disease can be prevented. Available drug options include:

• Atorvastatin (Lipitor).
• Fuvastatin (Lescol).
• Lovastatin (Altoprev).
• Pitavastatin (Livalo).
• Pravastatin (Pravachol).
• Rosuvastatin (Crestor).
• Simvastatin (Zocor).

2. Bile acid binding resin

The liver uses cholesterol to produce bile, which is a fluid that is important in the digestive process in the body.

Drugs such as cholestyramine (Prevalite), colesevelam (Welchol), and colestipol (Colestid) lower cholesterol indirectly by binding to bile acids.

This triggers the liver to use excess cholesterol to produce bile acids, which reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.

3. Inhibitor of cholesterol absorption

Your small intestine absorbs cholesterol from food and releases it into the bloodstream. The drug ezetimibe (Zetia) helps reduce blood cholesterol by limiting the absorption of cholesterol from food.

4. Injectable drugs

This type of medicine can help the liver absorb more LDL cholesterol, thereby lowering the cholesterol circulating in the blood.

Medications such as alirocumab (Praluent) and evolocumab (Repatha) can be used for people with genetic problems that cause high levels of LDL.

In addition, this drug can also be given to people with a history of coronary artery disease, as well as those who have intolerance to statins or other cholesterol drugs.

Home remedies for dyslipidemia

Several natural products have been shown to reduce cholesterol. With your doctor's approval, consider the following cholesterol-lowering supplements and products:

• Barley (barley).
• Beta-sitosterol (found in oral supplements and some margarines, such as Promise Activ).
• Blond psyllium (found in the seed coat and products such as Metamucil).
• Oat bran (found in oat meals and whole oats).
• Cytostanol (found in oral supplements and some margarines, such as Benecol).

If you decide to take cholesterol-lowering supplements, remember the importance of a healthy lifestyle. If your doctor gives you a cholesterol-lowering drug, use it as directed. Make sure your doctor knows what supplements you are taking.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.