ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Cholesterol

What is Cholesterol?

12:01 - 9 April , 2021

Disease

The liver makes cholesterol, a natural fatty substance that the body needs. When we consume animal source foods, we add additional cholesterol to our body.

It is classified in:

  • Good cholesterol or HDL cholesterol: its purpose is to remove cholesterol from the arteries and return it to the liver.
  • Bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol: if there is a large amount of cholesterol in the blood, the excess sticks and forms plaques in the arteries, generating a progressive narrowing that over time can lead to atherosclerosis.

Signs and symptoms Cholesterol

What are the normal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides?

  • Total cholesterol: between 200 and 240 mg/dl
  • LDL cholesterol: between 100 and 160 mg/dl
  • HDL cholesterol: more than 35 mg/dl in men and 40 mg/dl in women

Risks

Diseases such as diabetes and obesity are determining factors in cholesterol levels, as are leading a sedentary life and consuming alcohol in excess. Age, sex, and family history also play a role.

Prevention

Adopting healthy habits will help you control your cholesterol level:

  • Follow a low calories, low-fat, and low salt diet.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Exercise regularly.

In the event that despite making changes in your lifestyle, cholesterol levels do not decrease enough, your ABC doctor will indicate a drug treatment to achieve it.

Diagnosis and treatment Cholesterol

An elevated cholesterol level has no signs or symptoms, so it is necessary to have a total cholesterol test and assess the risk of developing heart disease. This blood test considers and measures the following types of fat:

  • Total cholesterol 
  • High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) 
  • Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) 
  • Triglycerides 

Patients who have had heart attacks or strokes require regular cholesterol testing to monitor the effectiveness of their treatment.

At the Cardiovascular Center we offer you a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services to take care of you through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary care model. Come to us, we want to hear your heart.

Fuentes: 

  • sociedad española de cardiología
  • fundación mexicana del corazón
  • mayoclinic.org
  • fundaciondelcorazon.com
  • texasheart.org
  • medigraphic.org
  • Ruiz LJC, Letamendi VJA, Calderón LRA. Prevalencia de dislipidemias en pacientes obesos. MediSan. 2020;24(02):211-222.
  • Cansino-Vega RA. Estatinas y sus efectos sistémicos más allá del control del colesterol. Rev Med MD. 2009;1(1):.
  • Armas RNB, de la Noval GR, Dueñas HA, et al. Estimación del riesgo cardiovascular mediante tablas de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Área de salud “Héroes del Moncada”. Rev Cubana Cardiol Cir Cardiovasc. 2014;20(1):.

 

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    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.