Hyperlipidemia is what? Hyperlipidemia: causes, symptoms, treatment

Hyperlipidemia is a pathological condition characterized by accumulation in the blood of substances harmful to the body, namely cholesterol, fats and triglyceride. In medicine, for them, the common name is lipids. It is from this term that the name of this pathology has occurred.

general information

Hyperlipidemia is not a disease, but one of the very serious diagnostic syndromes. In clinical practice, this problem occurs quite often. Many patients for a long time do not even suspect about its existence, and they learn only during the next preventive examination.

Despite the fact that hyperlipidemia is often diagnosed and occurs mostly asymptomatically, one should not leave it without attention. Elevated levels of fats, cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood lead to the development of many diseases, including atherosclerosis. This is why patients with this diagnosis need not only constant monitoring, but also appropriate treatment.

Main reasons

Unlike many inherited and acquired diseases, the appearance of which is virtually impossible to exert, hyperlipidemia is a clear indicator of how a particular person practices in the way of life. The thing is that the pathology develops due to the penetration into the body of those substances that come with food. In this case, it is not a one-time use, but a regular one.

In addition, experts call a number of factors that inevitably lead to the development of pathology:

• Hypertonic disease.
• Harmful habits (smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages).
• Diseases of the thyroid gland.
• Hereditary predisposition.
• Hypodinamy.
• Unhealthy and unbalanced nutrition.
• Obesity.

Symptoms

As already noted above, hyperlipidemia is not an independent disease, but a special syndrome. That is why it is not necessary to talk about any of its clinical signs. Even an elevated lipid concentration is detected only during a medical examination. Taking this fact into account , doctors strongly recommend that all people over 20 years of age do an annual test to determine the concentration of these substances in the blood.

Meanwhile, the condition of the patient over time can only worsen, provoking the development of a rather serious disease called atherosclerosis. As a rule, only at this stage the patient may have suspicions that the body is not working properly, that is, it's time to check your health. As a consequence, hyperlipidemia is diagnosed.

Symptoms of a nonspecific character can manifest themselves in the form of an increase in the size of the spleen, and also xanth (fat deposits in the skin).

Classification

The modern classification of this pathology was developed back in 1965 by Donald Fredikson. Subsequently, it was recommended as the main standard. How is hyperlipidemia divided? Classification:

• Type I. Diagnosed very rarely. It occurs mainly due to a defect in the structure of the activator protein for the lipoprotein lipase enzyme or due to a deficiency of this enzyme. There is a sharp increase in the level of lipids in the blood after taking fatty foods. That is why in this case the main method of treatment is the normalization of nutrition.
• Type II. This is the most common type of pathology. It often entails the development of atherosclerosis and even causes myocardial infarction.
• Type III. This is a hereditary hyperlipidemia. People suffering from this pathology tend to develop gout, diabetes, and obesity.
• Type IV. In this case, there is an increased content of triglycerides in the blood, and their amount increases noticeably immediately after consumption of alcoholic beverages.
• Type V. Doctors in this form notice an elevated level of lipoproteins, with an excessively low density. In patients due to this pathology, the risk of developing pancreatitis increases.

Other types of hyperlipidemia are also distinguished. Classification is based on the predominant content of certain substances in the blood related to this syndrome. In accordance with this, two forms of pathology are distinguished:

• Hypo-beta lipoproteinemia.
• Hypoalpha-lipoproteinemia.

Diagnostics

Taking into account the fact that the pathology does not have a pronounced clinical picture, and the types of hyperlipidemia described above have their differences, the diagnosis should be based exclusively on biochemical blood tests. Depending on the level of lipids, their fraction, the doctor offers appropriate therapy. In addition, the hematologist should conduct differential diagnosis with other diseases.

What should be the treatment?

First of all, it must be noted that the lipids accumulated in the blood themselves will not disappear anywhere. In order to normalize their level, patients are recommended to radically revise their lifestyle. It is necessary to reduce the consumption of foods with harmful cholesterol. This step allows not only to improve the overall condition, but also to minimize disruption in the work of the cardiovascular system.

In patients with the diagnosis of "hyperlipidemia," treatment implies compliance with a certain diet. It is recommended to abandon harmful food, alcoholic beverages, whole fatty and roasted. The diet should consist of steamed or baked in the oven dishes. It is allowed to use lean meat, fish, a lot of fresh vegetables and greens. Do not forget about sour-milk products.

When combining obesity and this pathology, it is recommended to include physical education in your life. At first, even the most common morning exercises can have a positive effect on health.

If after a certain period of time the tests did not return to normal, the doctor most often decides on the appointment of medication. It, first of all, is dictated by a high probability of development of cardiac diseases and atherosclerosis. The thing is that these diseases most often accompany such a pathology as hyperlipidemia. Treatment in this case includes taking statins (lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood), fibrates and cholagogue.

Remember, the sooner this pathology is discovered and the treatment is prescribed, the faster the recovery will be. Be healthy!