Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Hypercholesterolemia

Hypercholesterolemia (literally: high blood cholesterol) is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It is not a disease but a metabolic derangement that can be secondary to many diseases and can contribute to many forms of disease, most notably cardiovascular disease. It is closely related to the terms "Hyperlipidemia" (elevated levels of lipids) and "Hyperlipoproteinemia" (elevated levels of lipoproteins). more...

Home
Diseases
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
Hairy cell leukemia
Hallermann Streiff syndrome
Hallux valgus
Hantavirosis
Hantavirus pulmonary...
HARD syndrome
Harlequin type ichthyosis
Harpaxophobia
Hartnup disease
Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Hearing impairment
Hearing loss
Heart block
Heavy metal poisoning
Heliophobia
HELLP syndrome
Helminthiasis
Hemangioendothelioma
Hemangioma
Hemangiopericytoma
Hemifacial microsomia
Hemiplegia
Hemoglobinopathy
Hemoglobinuria
Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
Hemophilia A
Hemophobia
Hemorrhagic fever
Hemothorax
Hepatic encephalopathy
Hepatitis
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis D
Hepatoblastoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatorenal syndrome
Hereditary amyloidosis
Hereditary angioedema
Hereditary ataxia
Hereditary ceroid...
Hereditary coproporphyria
Hereditary elliptocytosis
Hereditary fructose...
Hereditary hemochromatosis
Hereditary hemorrhagic...
Hereditary...
Hereditary spastic...
Hereditary spherocytosis
Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome
Hermaphroditism
Herpangina
Herpes zoster
Herpes zoster oticus
Herpetophobia
Heterophobia
Hiccups
Hidradenitis suppurativa
HIDS
Hip dysplasia
Hirschsprung's disease
Histoplasmosis
Hodgkin lymphoma
Hodgkin's disease
Hodophobia
Holocarboxylase...
Holoprosencephaly
Homocystinuria
Horner's syndrome
Horseshoe kidney
Howell-Evans syndrome
Human parvovirus B19...
Hunter syndrome
Huntington's disease
Hurler syndrome
Hutchinson Gilford...
Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome
Hydatidiform mole
Hydatidosis
Hydranencephaly
Hydrocephalus
Hydronephrosis
Hydrophobia
Hydrops fetalis
Hymenolepiasis
Hyperaldosteronism
Hyperammonemia
Hyperandrogenism
Hyperbilirubinemia
Hypercalcemia
Hypercholesterolemia
Hyperchylomicronemia
Hypereosinophilic syndrome
Hyperhidrosis
Hyperimmunoglobinemia D...
Hyperkalemia
Hyperkalemic periodic...
Hyperlipoproteinemia
Hyperlipoproteinemia type I
Hyperlipoproteinemia type II
Hyperlipoproteinemia type...
Hyperlipoproteinemia type IV
Hyperlipoproteinemia type V
Hyperlysinemia
Hyperparathyroidism
Hyperprolactinemia
Hyperreflexia
Hypertension
Hypertensive retinopathy
Hyperthermia
Hyperthyroidism
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypoaldosteronism
Hypocalcemia
Hypochondrogenesis
Hypochondroplasia
Hypoglycemia
Hypogonadism
Hypokalemia
Hypokalemic periodic...
Hypoparathyroidism
Hypophosphatasia
Hypopituitarism
Hypoplastic left heart...
Hypoprothrombinemia
Hypothalamic dysfunction
Hypothermia
Hypothyroidism
Hypoxia
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Medicines

Signs and symptoms

Elevated cholesterol does not lead to specific symptoms unless it has been longstanding. Some types of hypercholesterolaemia lead to specific physical findings: xanthoma (thickening of tendons due to accumulation of cholesterol), xanthelasma palpabrum (yellowish patches around the eyelids) and arcus senilis (white discoloration of the peripheral cornea).

Longstanding elevated hypercholesterolemia leads to accelerated atherosclerosis; this can express itself in a number of cardiovascular diseases:

  • Angina pectoris, leading to PTCA or CABG
  • Myocardial infarction
  • Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)
  • Cerebrovascular accidents/Strokes
  • Peripheral artery disease (PAOD)

Diagnosis

When measuring cholesterol, it is important to measure its subfractions before drawing a conclusion on the cause of the problem. The subfractions are LDL, HDL and VLDL. In the past, LDL and VLDL levels were rarely measured directly due to cost concerns. VLDL levels are reflected in the levels of triglycerides (generally about 45% of triglycerides is composed of VLDL). LDL was usually estimated as a calculated value from the other fractions (total cholesterol minus HDL and VLDL); this method is called the Friedewald calculation; specifically: LDL ~= Total Cholesterol - HDL - (0.2 x Triglycerides).

Less expensive (and less accurate) laboratory methods and the Friedewald calculation have long been utilized because of the complexity, labor and expense of the electrophoretic methods developed in the 1970s to identify the different lipoprotein particles which transport cholesterol in the blood. As of 1980, the original methods, developed by research work in the mid-1970s cost about $5K, US 1980 dollars, per blood sample/person.

With time, more advanced laboratory analyses have been developed which do measure LDL and VLDL particle sizes and levels, and at far lower cost. These have partly been developed and become more popular as a result of the increasing clinical trial evidence that intentionally changing cholesterol transport patterns, including to certain abnormal values compared to most adults, often has a dramatic effect on reducing, even partially reversing, the atherosclerotic process. With ongoing research and advances in laboratory methods, the prices for more sophisticated analyses have markedly decreased, to less than $100, US 2004, by some labs, and with simultaneous increases in the accuracy of measurement for some of the methods.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


Lowering cholesterol with niacin - good news and bad news. : An article from: Medical Update $5.95 The No-Cholesterol No Kidding Cookbook: The Medically Proven Kitchen Cure for High Cholesterol $1.99
Statin reverses atherogenesis in highest-risk children: familial hypercholesterolemia. : An article from: Pediatric News $5.95 Croatian Civil-Military Reform and Its Impact on NATO Membership $31.95
Lipid-Lowering Combination Treats Hyperlipidemia. : An article from: Family Practice News $5.95 NCEP-III underestimates MI risk in younger adults. (Obesity Deserves More Attention).(Brief Article) : An article from: Family Practice News $5.95
Statin therapy cuts coronary mortality by 24% in elderly: 'There is clearly no justification now' for withholding statins from the elderly. (3-Year Placebo-Controlled ... : An article from: Internal Medicine News $5.95 Midlife CV risk factors boost risk of dementia: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes each increased the risk of getting dementia 27 years later.(Geriatrics) ... : An article from: Internal Medicine News $5.95
A Bum Rap for the Incredible, Edible Egg?(includes recipe for soy patties) : An article from: Medical Update $5.95 Unequal Lipid Therapy Tied to Ethnicity.(testing and treatment for minorities)(Brief Article) : An article from: Internal Medicine News $5.95

Hypercholesterolemia attenuates the anti-ischemic effect of preconditioning during coronary angioplasty
Background: Cardioprotection by preconditioning is limited in some animal models of hypercholesterolemia. We studied ischemic preconditioning induced ...
Hypercholesterolemia & hormones
Life Extension (September 2003) published an article by Sergey A. Dzugan, PhD, and R. Arnold Smith, MD, that proposes that hypercholesterolemia is the ...
Familial hypercholesterolemia in childhood: therapeutical options
A high level of cholesterol in the blood--hypercholesterolemia--is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and subsequently, coronary heart disease (CHD). Atherosclerosis comes from the Greek words
Ezetimibe for hypercholesterolemia - Steps
Synopsis: Ezetimibe (Zetia) is a novel, selective cholesterol absorption inhibitor. Ezetimibe blocks the absorption of dietary and biliary cholesterol ...
New cholesterol treatment for families at high risk: for patients with an inherited disorder called hypercholesterolemia, an emerging therapy is opening
"When diet, exercise, and cholesterol-lowering medications don't work, what can one do to reduce ,the high risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, ...
Using statins in children with familial hypercholesterolemia - Tips from Other Journals
Children with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (heFH) are at high risk for developing coronary heart disease. Currently the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program recommends drug the
Plant sterol esters in children with familial hypercholesterolemia - Lipids
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is associated with an increased risk of premature atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). Consensus panels ...
Congestive Heart Failure and Hypercholesterolemia - Alternative Therapies, part 2
Natural supplements are widely used by the American public but, while claims of their therapeutic effects abound, medical research does not always support ...

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay