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Cholesterol is often misunderstood. While it's crucial for many bodily functions, rising too high can pose a significant risk to heart health. This comprehensive guide aims to explain everything about high cholesterol—what it is, its causes, symptoms, treatment options, and preventive measures.
High cholesterol, also known as hypercholesterolemia, can be influenced by various factors such as diet, sedentary lifestyle, genetics, obesity, age and gender, medical Conditions, smoking and alcohol.
What are the symptoms of high cholesterol?
Majority of people have no symptoms at all until they have a heart attack or a stroke! High cholesterol works in the background causing atherosclerosis. The only way to know if you have it is to get a blood cholesterol check by your doctor.
Book a health screening with the best heart specialist in Singapore today.
Diet plays a critical role in controlling cholesterol. Eating specific foods can reduce harmful LDL levels while boosting HDL cholesterol, which protects your heart. Here are the natural ways to lower your cholesterol naturally:
1. Eat heart-healthy foods
2. Do regular exercise
3. Maintain healthy weight
4. Avoid smoking
5. Manage stress
6. Limit alcohol consumption
There are three primary types of stroke:
1. Ischemic Stroke: when blood clot blocks or narrows an artery supplying blood to the brain
2. Hemorrhagic Stroke: when a weakened blood vessel in the brain ruptures and spills blood into
or around the brain
3. Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA): when blood flow to the brain is temporarily disrupted,
causing stroke-like symptoms
The Connection Between Diabetes and Heart Disease
Types of Heart Disease Linked to Diabetes:
1. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries
2. Heart Failure: occurs when the heart can’t pump blood effectively
3. Stroke: occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, often by a clot or burst blood
vessel
The protein PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) plays a critical role in cholesterol management by influencing LDL receptors on liver cells, which are responsible for clearing LDL-C from the bloodstream.
PCSK9 inhibitors, such as Evolocumab (Repatha) and Alirocumab (Praluent), offer a unique solution to individuals with challenging cholesterol or high cardiovascular risk.
PCSK9 inhibitors are a class of medications designed to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often called "bad cholesterol. PCSK9 inhibitors are administered via injection, usually every two to four weeks.
Statins are one of the most widely prescribed medications worldwide for lowering cholesterol. They work by blocking the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which is responsible for cholesterol production in the liver.
For many high-risk patients, a combination of PCSK9 inhibitors and statins offers the best of both worlds:
1. Statins reduce cholesterol production.
2. PCSK9 inhibitors enhance the removal of LDL-C.
Studies have shown that combining these therapies can reduce LDL-C levels by more than 80%, significantly lowering the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events.
Atherosclerosis, a condition marked by the buildup of plaques in the arteries, is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.
How do PCSK9 inhibitors and atherosclerosis prevention go hand in hand?
PCSK9 inhibitors have emerged as powerful tools for combating high LDL-C levels and reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.
