* Bile acid resins. These drugs lower cholesterol by the liver is used to synthesize bile acids that are substances that form in the liver and used in the digestion of food.
* Fibrates. These fall mainly triglycerides
and that in turn prevents the formation of proteins that are carried.
* Statins. These are the most modern drugs, with greater power to lower cholesterol and fewer side effects. Cause increased degradation of cholesterol and decrease their training to act as inhibitors of enzymes involved in the formation and degradation of cholesterol, mainly of bad cholesterol. On these substances is on the research being conducted that are emerging with new statins that control cholesterol lower doses and therefore with fewer side effects.

could hypercholesterolemia be cleared?

NO. What is done is to keep blood cholesterol levels within the range considered normal with proper treatment, making its effect diminishes as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

How to prevent hypercholesterolemia?

If due to a genetic disease then there is no prevention possible, yes there if polygenic hypercholesterolemia as we try to control environmental factors and particularly dietary influence it.

The best way to prevent it is making a balanced diet rich in low-cholesterol foods such as vegetables, fruits, cereals, etc.. and low in foods that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. This is must add the realization of moderate exercise, as indicated in paragraph treatment to help maintain a healthy weight. These two actions also help to prevent or control other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, with some frequency, are associated with hypercholesterolemia, such as hypertension, diabetes or obesity.

What are the diseases which associated with hypercholesterolemia?

The increase in blood cholesterol levels has a direct relationship with mortality from coronary heart disease (angina and myocardial infarction) and cerebrovascular disease.

It is associated with other diseases are also major risk factors for themselves and are mainly hypertension, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, which is to be monitored and treated appropriately.

What should be done if you have hypercholesterolemia?

It is important that people with hypercholesterolemia continue regular medical controls, whose frequency depends not only cholesterol but also the cardiovascular risk of the person who is defined by the presence or absence of other risk factors already discussed, or the existence of heart disease. Once the diagnosis has been made on whether the person has heart disease, start with the hygienic-dietetic treatment.

If the risk is high (more than two risk factors or concomitant presence of diabetes) should make checks every month for the first three months, including Analytical determination of lipids and glucose and blood pressure taken. Later checks shall be performed within three months, and once achieved the therapeutic target, ie cholesterol levels are within normal limits, analytical tests are conducted every six months. If the hygienic-dietetic treatment not achieved therapeutic goals should start with conservative treatment and continue with the controls already mentioned, with the exception of whether statin treatment is introduced which would have to perform analytical checks a month of starting it.

If the risk is moderate or low (less than two risk factors) will carry out checks every six months initially and then annually.

What shouldn’t have done if you have hypercholesterolemia?

At no time should abandon the treatment, particularly the drug without medical prescription has been since we are dealing with a disease whose control is of great importance for reducing the risk of heart disease.

What else you need to know?

There are other risk factors is important to notice, although the modification is not possible, whether they will influence when addressing the treatment of hypercholesterolemia are: gender (men have higher cardiovascular risk than women premenopausal, after menopause the risk is equal because it removes the protective role exerted by female sex hormones), age (risk increases with age, is higher in men from age 45, and the women from age 55), family history of CHD (coronary heart disease or sudden death before age 55 in father or other male first-degree relatives or before 65 years in the mother or other relatives female first degree).

Hypercholesterolemia is an increase in blood cholesterol above values considered normal for the general population. The value from which it is considered pathological and that is also an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease is 250 mg / dl.

Cholesterol is a type of fat found in the blood as a result of digestion of various foods we consume. This type of fat is transported through the blood attached to proteins called lipoproteins pose. This makes protein binding in the total cholesterol can distinguish two types, one popularly known as bad cholesterol that is that cholesterol is transported from the liver to the tissues and is the part of the plaques of atherosclerosis and its increase is the which is considered to have a better relationship with cardiovascular disease. The other type are known as good cholesterol and that is transported from peripheral tissues to the liver, such is not part of arteriosclerotic plaques and their presence at high levels is considered a protective factor for cardiovascular disease.

Inside there is another type of blood fat whose role as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease is unclear but whose growth is also considered pathological are triglycerides. Values are considered abnormal triglycerides above 200 mg/dl.

In short, the increase in blood fat of any of the previously discussed is called hyperlipidemia or hyperlipidemia, if what is growing is just one type of fat called fat increase, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, and if they are augmented the two is called mixed hyperlipidemia.

Why do you have increased cholesterol?

Within hypercholesterolemias distinguish two types: one that primaries are those in which no obvious cause is appreciated, and other high schools where the cause of the increase in cholesterol is due to a disease already known.

In the primaries there are some that are due to genetic deficiencies of proteins that function in cholesterol metabolism, and others, which are the most frequent (85% of total cholesterol), which are known as polygenic diseases that affect 5% of the population. The term polygenic means that apart from a genetic deficiency is not located in a single gene, but several. In these cases other factors act primarily environmental and dietary intake related to dietary cholesterol.

What are the early symptoms which noticable?

Hypercholesterolemia is an asymptomatic disease until there is vascular disease (stroke, angina, etc.). But sometimes called xanthomas may appear that are the result of infiltration of the skin and tendons by cholesterol may be cutaneous or tendinous and are typically in the interdigital areas of hands, buttocks, knees and elbows, if they occur around the eyelids are called xanthelasma, the latter are not pathognomonic of hypercholesterolemia and that can also occur in people with normal cholesterol levels . These two types of skin disorders associated with hypercholesterolemia, appear more frequently in those that are due to a genetic defect is already known, rather than the polygenic nature. Given the importance of this risk factor, using any contact with health services which make an analytical determination should be a serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This determination is advisable to do it once before age 35 in men and women age 45 and then at intervals of 5 or 6 years to 65.

What is the complications?

Hypercholesterolemia is, along with hypertension and smoking, major risk factors for one of the leading causes of death in our country that is ischemic heart disease (angina, myocardial infarction), as well as cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease. This is supported by studies in which there has been a close relationship between high levels of total cholesterol and the occurrence of ischemic heart disease and cardiovascular mortality, and attitudes aimed at reducing cholesterol levels also cause decrease the probability of the pathology. However, the risk conferred any blood cholesterol level also depends on the coexistence of other risk factors such as age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, etc.. and that when conducting preventive work must also be taken into account.

How to treat hypercholesterolemia?

The treatment of hypercholesterolemia has two parts, one that is hygienic-dietary measures and
one that is drug therapy. These two parts are not exclusive but must be complemented for
cholesterol will lead to normal. However treatment must be individualized for each person, taking into account the presence or absence of other risk factors and associated pathologies.

Hygienic-dietary measures. Try to make a balanced diet is one that provides a number of calories according to energy expenditure that can achieve and maintain weight loss. The diet has to be
rich foods that contain carbohydrates and are mainly vegetable products, pasta, root vegetables, legumes, cereals, etc. .. Total fat must not exceed 30-35% of total calories, and of these the
saturated fats, which are those present in animal fats in butter, margarine, sausages, dairy products and coconut and palm oils (are the constituents of baked goods, cookies, fried, precooked and canned) has no that exceed 10% of total fats, and to be used are monounsaturated fats which are derived from oils
vegetables, particularly olive oil. The diet must be low in cholesterol, not exceeding
300 mg / day. Cholesterol is found in red meat, viscera (liver, kidneys, brains …), yolk
(and its derivatives, custards, mayonnaise), not being recommended greater consumption of 2-3 times the week. The poultry and rabbit meat containing less saturated fat and cholesterol, and white fish or blue should be used to replace red meat dishes. When you eat red meat it is advisable to remove visible fat before cooking it.

Do not ban alcohol, but can allow moderate consumption, 40 g / day for men and 24 g / day for women, roughly corresponding to two glasses of wine a day. We recommend a moderate reduction in salt intake and consumption of whole milk and dairy products as this is one of the largest sources of saturated fats are what we must avoid. It is not advisable, therefore, consumption of whole milk, fatty cheeses, ice cream, cream, butter and derivatives. When cooking is also advisable to use boiled, roasted, grilled and grilled rather than fried food.

The total calorie intake should aim to normalize the weight to help recommended dietary measures the performance of moderate physical exercise, which has seen it can increase good cholesterol for at least 30 minutes over 3 days week.
Dietary recommendations are summarized in Table 1 (Modified from Management in primary care of dyslipidemia. SEMFYC Recommendations 1997).