The causes of high cholesterol can be of two types: genetic and environmental.
The genetic factor is not modifiable, however within environmental factors, diet together with medication, if the specialist deems it necessary, are essential to help reduce cholesterol levels.
In this post we explain what factors can lead to high cholesterol levels and what you can do to reduce it.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of fat that our body produces naturally and is also found in foods of animal origin. Cholesterol itself is not a negative substance, in fact it is part of several structures in our body, such as:
• Hormones
• Plasma membrane of our cells
• Bile salts
• Vitamin D
Ultimately, cholesterol is a fat we need! The problem arises when the levels rise above what is desired, since in that case the risk of cardiovascular diseases increases. The causes of high cholesterol can be lifestyle habits, but there can also be a genetic component.
And it is that, in our DNA we find the instructions so that our organism works correctly. For this reason, our genetics play a fundamental role in the predisposition that we have to suffer from certain diseases, from hereditary cancer to hearing loss , including, of course, cholesterol levels.
What types of cholesterol are there?
Before going into more detail about high cholesterol and its causes, it is important that you know well what types of cholesterol there are. As you know, in a general way we speak of two classes: the "good" and the "bad". But do you know what each one is and how they differ? We will try to clarify these concepts.
First of all, you have to know that cholesterol is a fat-soluble substance, that is, it is not soluble in water, so to travel through the blood it needs to bind to proteins. This is something that also happens, for example, to fat-soluble vitamins.
When we say "good cholesterol" we are referring to HDL cholesterol, an acronym for High Density Lipoprotein , which means "high density lipoprotein." It is a smaller and denser molecule, which is made up of more proteins than lipids, hence its name.
HDL is responsible for collecting cholesterol from the arteries and taking it to the liver, where it is eliminated or reused.
The "bad cholesterol" is called LDL, an acronym for Low Density Lipoprotein, which means "low-density lipoprotein." Unlike HDL or "good", LDL contains in proportion much more fat than protein. This molecule in itself is not bad, since its function is to transport lipids throughout the body. The problem is that when it is in values above those considered "normal", cholesterol can accumulate in the wall of the arteries and veins, favoring the appearance of atherosclerosis ( deposit of fatty substances within the arteries).
Triglycerides why are they important?
One concept that you will often hear linked to high cholesterol is that of triglycerides. These are a type of fat found in the blood. When you eat, the calories that you do not use are immediately transformed into triglycerides, which are stored in the fat cells. In this way, if in your usual diet you eat more calories than you burn, your triglyceride levels are probably high, especially if you eat a lot of foods rich in carbohydrates.
High levels of triglycerides are harmful because they contribute to hardening of the arteries and can also cause inflammation of the pancreas. In short, although they are molecules that provide energy to the body, in excess they do not help us at all. Sometimes having them high is a consequence of other primary conditions, such as diabetes, hypothyroidism and even obesity.
What cholesterol levels are considered high?
Do you know that if you perform a cholesterol analysis in several laboratories, the same levels can be considered high in some and not in others? This is not a laboratory error!
This occurs because the reference values of each laboratory do not have to be exactly the same, that is, they can vary a little. In general, these are the levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol and their implication for people without cardiovascular disease or diabetes, according to the Spanish Heart Foundation :
LDL CHOLESTEROL OUTCOME
<200 mg / dl Desirable
200-239 mg / dl High
> 240 mg / dl Very high
HDL CHOLESTEROL OUTCOME
<40 mg / dl Higher risk
> 60 mg / dl Desirable
TRIGLYCERIDES OUTCOME
<150 mg / dl Normal
150 - 199 mg / dl Limit values
200 - 499 mg / dl High
> 500 mg / dl Very high
What is atherosclerosis?
When we have high cholesterol we are at greater risk of developing atherosclerosis, but what is this?
Healthy veins and arteries are flexible and elastic. When cholesterol begins to deposit on its walls, a reaction begins that causes oxidation and inflammation and, as a consequence, damage to the vascular wall, in which the so-called "atheroma plaque" is formed. This plaque is made up of lipids, inflammatory and smooth muscle cells, and connective tissue. This cellular accumulation generates a thickening of the vascular wall and the loss of the elasticity of the vessel, which causes the arteries to narrow and the blood risk is reduced . In addition, if plaque is detached there is a high risk of a clot that can block blood flow to the heart or another organ.
This pathological process is called atherosclerosis, and it develops gradually. Even if you have this pathology, you do not have to present symptoms until a complication occurs, that is, until a blood vessel narrows enough to stop blood flow. As you can see, it is certainly better to be safe.
High cholesterol: what factors influence?
There are different factors that have been shown to be associated with elevated cholesterol levels:
• Poor diet: if we eat saturated fats or trans fats regularly, it is likely that our cholesterol is high. The former are found in products of animal origin, and the latter in some cookies and industrial pastries. Regular intake of red meat or dairy products also increases cholesterol. It does not mean that we have to eliminate all these foods from our diet, but it does mean that we adjust the intake with the healthy recommendations, taking into account whether or not we have other cardiovascular risk factors.
• Overweight: A body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more increases the risk of high cholesterol. So keeping less weight can help keep cholesterol at bay. Everything is adding up.
• Sedentary lifestyle: exercise helps you increase levels of HDL cholesterol ("good cholesterol") at the same time it allows you to reduce LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol). Regular exercise is good for almost everything, and cholesterol is no exception.
• Smoking: the harmful substances contained in tobacco cause damage to the walls of the blood vessels, which facilitates the deposit of fat and, therefore, favors the development of atherosclerosis.
• Age and sex: with age, the cholesterol level increases. In men, on average, it is usually higher up to the age of 50, compared to women of the same age. However, this difference ends with menopause, at which point cholesterol increases in women.
• Diabetes: patients with diabetes have elevated sugar levels above normal and also have an increase in LDL cholesterol and a reduction in HDL. Since blood sugar levels damage the wall of the arteries, both factors together add to risk.
Genetics: the types of genetic inheritance are decisive when it comes to predisposing us to certain diseases or conditions. Well, genetics inherited from parents can also increase the risk of high cholesterol. Familial hypercholesterolemia, a condition that is among the leading inherited genetic diseases. Generally, people with very high cholesterol have a parent with high levels. In general, we can discriminate between two types of hypercholesterolemia related to genetic factors:
• Familial hypercholesterolemia: around 100,000 people in Spain are affected by this pathology caused by mutations in genes, which lead to an increase in LDL and total cholesterol levels. About 70-90% of cases of familial hypercholesterolemia are due to mutations in the APOB, LDLR, and PCSK9 genes. We each have two copies of these genes, one inherited from our mother and one from our father. If we only have one affected copy, we speak of heterozygosity , and cholesterol levels are above normal, but if both copies are affected, cholesterol levels are even higher and we speak of homozygosity.
• Polygenic hypercholesterolemia : It is the most common form and is due to the interaction of several genes and environmental factors
How can I lower my high cholesterol?
If your cholesterol is high, that is, its levels are above normal, the specialist will probably evaluate this and other factors and recommend a modification of your lifestyle habits and, if necessary, will prescribe a drug treatment that reduces the total cholesterol and LDL. These types of drugs are called cholesterol-lowering drugs .
However, if they recommend pharmacological treatment, you should not think that with the medication it is no longer necessary to take further measures. To reduce cholesterol effectively, drug treatment must always be accompanied by lifestyle changes that reduce cardiovascular risk.
If the specialist considers that the most appropriate is an approach through lifestyle habits, here it is really important that you follow the instructions strictly. In this case, you can go to nutritional supplements such as red rice yeast , a supplement used in traditional Chinese medicine that has natural active ingredients that act in a similar way to cholesterol-lowering drugs and can help you reduce your LDL and total cholesterol levels. .
Here are seven dietary guidelines to avoid high cholesterol:
1. Avoid saturated fats : they are so called because at the structural level they do not have double bonds in their chain. This characteristic gives them negative properties against so-called unsaturated fats, which do contain one or more double bonds. Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature and is generally found in foods of animal origin, but beware! the famous palm oil or coconut oil, so fashionable lately, are of vegetable origin and contain saturated fats.
2. Say goodbye to trans fats: these are the worst fats for health: they are a type of artificially unsaturated fatty acid, present mainly in industrial foods that have undergone a hydrogenation process.
3. Incorporate the famous Omega-3 into your diet: its properties help reduce cholesterol and triglycerides. Omega-3 encompasses a set of long and very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is found mainly in shellfish and fatty fish such as salmon, herring, sardines and tuna, in vegetable oils such as soybean, walnuts and flaxseeds.
4. Add fiber to your diet: fiber consumption is essential in the diet. There are two types: soluble fiber, which helps control sugar and cholesterol levels and is found mainly in legumes, fruits and vegetables; and the insoluble, which helps regulate intestinal transit and cholesterol levels.
5. Get moving! Physical activity helps you stay at your ideal weight, control blood pressure and keep your LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) at bay. It is not necessary to dedicate ourselves to running marathons, walking at a good pace for 30 minutes a day is enough.
6. Forget tobacco: smoking only has negative consequences for your health, and one of them has to do with an increase in cholesterol. Nicotine increases LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and reduces HDL (good cholesterol) levels. It's challenging for regular smokers, but it's worth the effort, on tons of levels. Blood pressure and heart rate normalize within hours of quitting, and after a year of quitting, the risk of heart disease is half that of a person who smokes.
7. Start weighing yourself : Control your weight. Having extra pounds, even if they are not many, is one more factor that increases cholesterol. Simply by removing the sodas, changing the potato garnish for salad, reducing the amount of sugar and trying to avoid bread, you can subtract some calories from your diet, just enough to lose some weight.
High cholesterol and personalized preventive medicine
Hypercholesterolemia is something relatively frequent in the population, for this reason it is common to lose sight of the importance of this cardiovascular risk factor in our health. The control of cholesterol through diet is essential even when there is a pharmacological treatment, every little action in favor of your cardiovascular health adds up. Adopting some of the advice we offer may not be overly complicated and can be key to your health.
We hope that after reading this article you will be more clear about what cholesterol is, what are the causes of high cholesterol, and what you can do to reduce it. As you have seen, diet and lifestyle are environmental factors that influence cholesterol. Being under our control, they become powerful tools in our hands when it comes to taking care of our health and controlling high cholesterol, which can be the source of many health problems.
In case of presenting high cholesterol, it is also an option to know if there is any genetic variant related to the increase in your cholesterol levels, since it is information that both brothers and children could also benefit from. Around 80% of cholesterol levels are determined by the individual's genetics, age and physiological state, but through diet it is possible to control the remaining 20%.
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