Combined Hyperlipidemia is a condition in which the level of bad cholesterol increases in the blood. Which may result in LDL depositing in your blood vessels. This affects the blood flow through the arteries and as a result, heart may not receive enough oxygen rich blood increasing the risk of heart diseases. Decrease in blood flow to your brain can cause heart stroke. Factors such as smoking, obesity, unhealthy diet, diabetes and lack of exercise can cause high cholesterol levels.
Understanding Cholesterol:
Cholesterol is a waxy substance which is a type of fat found in your blood. Cholesterol uses special proteins to travel in the blood. The combinations of cholesterol and protein carriers are called “lipoproteins”, which are of two types:
• Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or bad cholesterol transport cholesterol particles throughout the body
• High-density lipoproteins (HDL) or good cholesterol picks up excess cholesterol and takes it back to the liver.
Symptoms:
Combined hyperlipidemia shows virtually no symptoms on its own, so no signs are there in early years. However, in later years the individuals with this disease may develop high cholesterol levels. If not controlled timely, it may result in coronary heart disease (CHD) or atherosclerosis and because of that following symptoms are experienced:
• Chest pain or pressure (angina)
• Blockage of blood vessels in brain and heart
• High blood pressure
• Heart attack
• Stroke
Diagnoses:
Combined hyperlipidemia is diagnosed by undergoing a simple blood test called the lipid profile or lipid panel. The reports include:
• Total cholesterol
• LDL cholesterol. People with combined hyperlipidemia will show increased levels.
• HDL cholesterol. People with combined hyperlipidemia will show decreased levels.
• Triglycerides. People with combined hyperlipidemia will show increased levels.
Treatments:
The initial steps to control cholesterol levels include:
• Taking a healthy diet
• Exercising regularly
If these alterations fail to control combined hyperlipidemia, the doctor may recommend medications. The medication or a combination of medications prescribed will depend on age, risk factors, overall health and possible side effects. These include:
• Statins: Which blocks an enzyme needed by the liver to make cholesterol. This prompts the liver to remove cholesterol from blood
• Bile-Acid-Binding Resins: The liver makes bile acids by using cholesterol. When the medications bind to the bile acids, the liver uses excess cholesterol to make more bile acids thus reducing the cholesterol levels in the blood.
• Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors: Which inhibit the absorption of cholesterol from diet thus reducing the cholesterol levels in blood.
