Overview

Hyperlipidemia is very common, affecting nearly half of adults. However, not everyone with high cholesterol will develop coronary artery disease (CAD). It remains one of the main risk factors for heart attacks, strokes, and other vascular diseases. Because of that, different people are treated to different target levels depending on their overall risk since some people might need pharmacologic treatment whereas some do not.

Risks

The existence of this disease along with other risk factors, can lead to many complications including coronary artery disease, heart attacks, stroke, carotid artery disease, sudden cardiac arrest, peripheral artery disease, and microvascular disease.

Symptoms

Hyperlipidemia is typically asymptomatic, meaning it does not present obvious symptoms until significant damage has occurred to the arteries or organs. As a result, it’s important to detect high cholesterol through regular blood tests. It is important to note that some people will have a very high cholesterol level no matter what, this is called familial hyperlipidemia. Most people inherit a tendency of hyperlipidemia that develops with age, stress, and unhealthy lifestyle. By such, we are referring to eating unhealthy food, smoking, drinking excessively, or gaining weight and staying sedentary.

In addition, there are some medical conditions which could contribute to hyperlipidemia such as obesity, liver disease, pancreatic disease, diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and lupus.
Regular blood testing is essential for diagnosing hyperlipidemia, especially since the condition is often silent. Treatment strategies for hyperlipidemia may include lifestyle changes related to food intake, regular physical activity, keeping an optimal weight, and stopping smoking and reducing stress. However, certain individuals will need to intake some medications to prevent this disease.