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Hyperlipidemia commonly known as high cholesterol is said to affect over 50% of Americans. More accurately, 95 million USA citizens above the age of 20 have cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/ dl, while another 29 million show levels higher than 240 mg/dl. High cholesterol just like high blood pressure exhibit no symptoms, hence harder to know when you suffer from it. Which is why reading this content is crucial to your health, and the wellbeing of others around.

Definition 

Cholesterol is a fatty substance similar to wax, found in the cells of your body. It plays a vital role in protecting nerves, producing hormones, and making cell tissues. The liver along with animal products such as meat and egg yolk are the greatest contributors to cholesterol. The liver initially will make sufficient cholesterol for the body, but depending on your diet the cholesterol could turn from beneficial to harmful. Which is where the line is crossed. Which line? The scientific term for fats is lipids. For the fats to move in the bloodstream, they need proteins, hence the term lipoproteins. These are the determinants to your body's cholesterol levels. When the levels are on the bad side, you develop hyperlipoproteinemia, another term for high cholesterol.

Bad vs Good Cholesterol 

As mentioned above, there are benefits and harmful effects of cholesterol. Both effects depend heavily on the density of the lipoproteins. How? Well, there are three defining terms:

•    LDL - this is low-density lipoprotein. Also referred to as bad cholesterol, they tend to cause buildup in the arteries            which then causes you to develop high cholesterol.

•    HDL - high-density lipoprotein. Good cholesterols that allow movement in the bloodstream back to the source; liver. •    VLDL - very-low-density lipoprotein. These are also good cholesterol because they exceed fats that are turned into energy. Also known as Triglycerides.

Causes of High Cholesterol 

As mentioned above, your diet plays a significant role when it comes to your cholesterol levels. Below are some common causes of high cholesterol;

•    Unhealthy eating - taking foods high in saturated fats causes the body to absorb more LDL, which is harmful to one's health.

•    Genetic reasons - familial hypercholesterolemia

•    Smoking

•    Lifestyle changes 

Risk Factors for High Cholesterol 

Similar to other medical condition, there are factors that play a vital role when it comes to raising your risks. Here are a few of them;

•    Age - children and teen have lower cholesterol levels compared to the elderly.

•    Weight- consuming a lot of saturated fats can cause you to be obese, which makes you more prone to high cholesterol levels.

•    Genes - it could begin the family; a hereditary gene.

•    Race - African Americans are said to have higher HD.

•    Underlying medical conditions such and diabetes.

If affected by any of the risk factors above, constant check-ups may be required.

How to Diagnose High Cholesterol 

With no visible symptoms, bloodwork has to be done to check on the proper cholesterol levels in the body. The body should be at 200 mg/dl and below for a healthy reading. The levels should also be in line with the LDL and HDL levels in the body. Check on the proper cholesterol levels for your body.

Treatment and Side Effects 

After diagnosis, the body will have to be tuned accordingly so as to ensure healthy cholesterol levels. For those who get good readings, work still has to be done to maintain the levels as healthy as possible. As for high cholesterol level patients, a course of treatment has to be taken. This could include either of these options.

•    Drug treatment using lipid-lowering therapy - drugs with high levels of statins will be recommended.

•    Lifestyle changes like regular exercises, better diets, and abstinence from smoking.

•    Use of plant sterols and stanols

There haven't been any side effects to these treatments, but there are adverse effects in case one doesn't attend to their high cholesterol levels. These complications could include;

•    Heart disease or heart attack

•    Stroke

•    Chest pains

Either way, as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Live a healthy life eating the proper amount of fats, doing regular exercises, avoiding stress, and most importantly, follow up on your health.