Hypercholesterolemia and its treatment

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the metabolic disorders of fats (lipid metabolism), accompanied by a confirmed laboratory analysis increasing the concentration of this substance in the blood to 5.2 mmol/l and more. In International statistical classification of diseases ICD-10 to this condition is regarded as "pure" cholesterol growth, is not linked to other common diseases.

In accordance with the assigned code E78.0, hypercholesterolemia is a member of various disorders of metabolism and nutrition, but is not a disease.

Cholesterol — "friend" or "enemy"?

The twentieth century has been a "charge" one of the cholesterol fractions (low density lipoprotein) the main cause of atherosclerosis is the scourge of humanity, causing all basic severe heart disease and blood vessels with high mortality.

Accordingly, the pharmaceutical industry and the diet adjusted to the subject and transferred the production and advertising campaign for medications and products that reduce cholesterol levels. To date, mass hysteria ended, as proved by the leading role of viral damage to the vascular wall before formation of atherosclerotic spots.

Found that only 25% of animal fat turning into cholesterol, comes from food. Hypercholesterolemia is possible in respect of:

• increased production in the liver (production type of metabolism);
• impaired selection (pressure reducing type);
• excessive intake of food (the problem is not leading, and third place).

Biochemical changes in the metabolism of fats recorded higher concentration of cholesterol, almost every third citizen (in different countries the rates are different).

Forms and their differences

Study of the mechanism of origin of hypercholesterolemia allowed to divide it into 3 types:

• primary — independent of any already established diseases;
• secondary — a consequence of the exchange of lipid rearrangements, caused by a specific pathology;
• alimentary — associated with "overeating" animal fats.

Alimentary form is the only proven relationship with dietary patterns. Thus, to distinguish between:

• transient hyperlipidemia (non-permanent) that occurs immediately after or the next day after a single overeating fatty foods;
• constant — determined by the type of food with the use of significant quantities of animal fats.

Clinical manifestations

Symptoms of hypercholesterolemia have few external signs. They manifest at an advanced stage with long-term existence of the failure of lipid metabolism. Condition early it is diagnosed by laboratory parameters.

The patient with impaired fatmetabolism during the inspection, you may notice:

• xanthomas — small nodules under the skin dense consistency, "soldered" to the tendons, often located on the muscles-extensors of the fingers, feet and in the area of ahillovo ligament;
• xanthelasmas — flat, yellow small nodules on the eyelids, similar to the "grain";
• on the cornea of the eye is visible to the lipid arc in the form of a grayish-white rim around the edges.