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High blood cholesterol and triglycerides

• Overview
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Lipid disorders; Hyperlipoproteinemia; Hyperlipidemia; Dyslipidemia; Hypercholesterolemia

Treatment:

How you are treated depends on your age, health history, if you smoke, and other risk factors for heart disease, such as:

• Diabetes
• Poorly controlled high blood pressure
• Family history of heart disease

There are steps that everyone can take to improve their cholesterol levels, and help prevent heart disease and heart attack. Here are the most important ones:

• Choose foods low in saturated fat. (See cholesterol for more information.)
• Exercise regularly.
• Lose weight if you are overweight.
• Get routine health checkups and cholesterol screenings.

If lifestyle changes do not help or your cholesterol level remains very high, your doctor may may recommend medication. There are several types of drugs available to help lower blood cholesterol levels, and they work in different ways. Some are better at lowering LDL cholesterol, some are good at lowering triglycerides, while others help raise HDL cholesterol.

The most commonly used drugs for treating high LDL cholesterol are called statins. Other drugs that may be used include bile acid sequestering resins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, fibrates, and nicotinic acid (niacin).

Expectations (prognosis):

If you are diagnosed with high cholesterol, you will probably need to continue lifestyle changes and drug treatment throughout your life. Periodic monitoring of your cholesterol blood levels is necessary. Reducing high cholesterol levels will slow the progression of atherosclerosis.

Complications:

Possible complications of high cholesterol include:

• Atherosclerosis
• Coronary artery disease
• Stroke
• Heart attack or death

Calling your health care provider:

Have your cholesterol checked every 5 years or so, starting between the ages of 20 and 30. If you have high cholesterol or other risk factors for heart disease, make appointments as recommended by your doctor.

References:

Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. Executive Summary of the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA . 2001;285:2486-2497.

• Review Date: 10/24/2006
• Reviewed By: Daniel R Alexander, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Leonardtown, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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