Cardiology

Exploring how the liver immune system eats up 'bad cholesterol'

A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden reveals that immune cells in the liver react to high cholesterol levels and eat up excess cholesterol that can otherwise cause damage to arteries. The findings, published in ...

Health

Try a cholesterol-lowering diet for heart health

With those New Year's resolutions six weeks behind us, some people may have reverted to less healthy ways of eating. Heart Month is a great time to remind yourself why a healthy diet is important for more than just your waistline.

Cardiology

Video: What is vascular dementia?

An estimated 55 million people are believed to be living with dementia, according to the World Health Organization. Vascular diseases contribute to approximately 25% of all diagnoses.

page 1 from 40

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).

Elevated cholesterol in the blood is due to abnormalities in the levels of lipoproteins, the particles that carry cholesterol in the bloodstream. This may be related to diet, genetic factors (such as LDL receptor mutations in familial hypercholesterolemia) and the presence of other diseases such as diabetes and an underactive thyroid. The type of hypercholesterolemia depends on which type of particle (such as low density lipoprotein) is present in excess.

High cholesterol levels are treated with diets low in cholesterol, medications, and rarely with other treatments including surgery (for particular severe subtypes). This is also increased emphasis on other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA