Last updated on 5th Sep 2022 - By Dwayne Michaels

Why is my Cholesterol high or low?

The cholesterol results are interpreted along with the results for Triglycerides, HDL, LDL, non-HDL and Lipoprotein A to help diagnose disease severity. So let's know about all these tests and let's try to know the real cause of your disease.

After reading this article thoroughly you will be able to self-diagnose your disease

Before understanding various types of cholesterol and lipoproteins, let us know some of the causes of abnormal cholesterol.

• Cigarette smoking
• Thyroid problem
• Kidney failure
• Obesity
• Heart disease
• Lupus
• Unhealthy diet
• Diabetes
• Family history of premature heart disease
• Age
• Hypertension
• Prediabetes

The traditional lipid panel includes LDL, HDL, non-HDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol. In addition to these tests, some doctors also recommend VLDL, Lipoprotein A and Apolipoprotein A1 tests.

In addition to the traditional lipid panel, there are some other modern and advanced cardiovascular diagnostic tests that can better predict the risk of heart disease due to abnormal levels of cholesterol or LDL. If you need our help diagnosing your cholesterol status and whether you need these advanced tests to determine the severity of your disease, you can upload your report. Upload blood test report now

Let's know about these blood tests:

Total Cholesterol:

Cholesterol is a waxy substance your liver makes to protect nerves and to make cell tissue and certain hormones. There is “good” (HDL) cholesterol and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. Too much bad cholesterol (LDL) can be bad for your health.

Often, there are no specific symptoms of high cholesterol. You could have high cholesterol and not know it.

According to the lipid hypothesis, elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood lead to atherosclerosis which may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.

Elevated cholesterol levels are treated with a strict diet consisting of low saturated fat, trans fat-free, low cholesterol foods, often followed by one of various hypolipidemic agents, such as statins, fibrates, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, monoclonal antibody therapy (PCSK9 inhibitors), nicotinic acid derivatives or bile acid sequestrants. There are several international guidelines on the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia.

The same heart-healthy lifestyle changes that can lower your cholesterol can help prevent you from having high cholesterol in the first place. To help prevent high cholesterol, you can:

• Exercise on most days
• Eat a low-salt diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Choose healthier fats. This includes avocados, nuts, and low-fat dairy items.
• Limit foods high in saturated fat.
• Lose extra pounds
• Quit smoking
• Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all
• Manage stress
• Look for foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Your family history also affects your cholesterol level. Research has shown that high cholesterol tends to run in families. If you have an immediate family member who has it, you could have it, too.

Most foods that are rich in cholesterol are also high in saturated fat and thereby may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Total cholesterol is defined as the sum of HDL, LDL, and VLDL. Usually, only the total, HDL, and triglycerides are measured. For cost reasons, the VLDL is usually estimated as one-fifth of the triglycerides and the LDL is estimated using the Friedewald formula

LDL:

LDL (low-density lipoprotein), sometimes called “bad cholesterol, makes up most of your bodys cholesterol. Extra LDL, along with other substances, forms plaque. High levels of LDL cholesterol raise your risk for heart disease and stroke.

If your total cholesterol level is high because of a high LDL level, you may be at higher risk of heart disease or stroke.

About one in 250 individuals can have a genetic mutation for the LDL cholesterol receptor that causes them to have familial hypercholesterolemia. Inherited high cholesterol can also include genetic mutations in the PCSK9 gene and the gene for apolipoprotein B.

Coronary artery disease happens when the plaque buildup is in the arteries of your heart. It causes the arteries to become hardened and narrowed, which blocks the blood flow to your heart. Since your blood carries oxygen to your heart, this means that your heart may not be able to get enough oxygen. This can cause a heart attack.

The most effective lifestyle approach to reduce LDL cholesterol has been minimizing total body fat, in particular fat stored inside the abdominal cavity (visceral body fat). Visceral fat, which is more metabolically active than subcutaneous fat, has been found to produce many enzymatic signals, e.g. resistin, which increase insulin resistance and circulating VLDL particle concentrations, thus both increasing LDL particle concentrations and accelerating the development of diabetes mellitus.

If you need our help diagnosing the severity of your illness and want to fix your LDL problem, you can upload your blood report here. Upload blood test report now

HDL:

In healthy individuals, about 30% of blood cholesterol, along with other fats, is carried by HDL. This is often contrasted with the amount of cholesterol estimated to be carried within low-density lipoprotein particles, LDL, and called LDL-C.

HDL particles remove fats and cholesterol from cells, including within artery wall atheroma, and transport it back to the liver for excretion or re-utilization; thus the cholesterol carried within HDL particles (HDL-C) is sometimes called "good cholesterol" (despite being the same as cholesterol in LDL particles).

Higher native HDL levels are correlated with lowered risk of cardiovascular disease in healthy people.

Men tend to have noticeably lower HDL concentrations, with smaller size and lower cholesterol content, than women. Men also have a greater incidence of atherosclerotic heart disease.

Increasing concentrations of HDL particles are associated with decreasing accumulation of atherosclerosis within the walls of arteries, reducing the risk of sudden plaque ruptures, cardiovascular disease, stroke and other vascular diseases. HDL particles are commonly referred to as "good cholesterol", because they transport fat molecules out of artery walls, reduce macrophage accumulation, and thus help prevent or even regress atherosclerosis.

Epidemiological studies have shown that high concentrations of HDL (over 60 mg/dL) have protective value against cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction. Low concentrations of HDL (below 40 mg/dL for men, below 50 mg/dL for women) increase the risk for atherosclerotic diseases.

Certain changes in diet and exercise may have a positive impact on raising HDL levels:

• Removal of trans fatty acids from the diet
• Increased intake of unsaturated fats
• Decreased intake of simple carbohydrates.
• Avocado consumption
• Addition of soluble fiber to diet
• Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids
• Aerobic exercise
• Weight loss
• Consumption of medium-chain triglycerides

If you need our help diagnosing the severity of your illness and want to fix your cholesterol problem, you can upload your blood report here. Upload blood test report now

Lipoprotein A:

Lipoprotein (a) or Lp(a) is one type of lipoprotein that carries cholesterol in the blood.

High Lp(a) in blood correlates with coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and stroke. However, the association between Lp(a) levels and stroke is not as strong as that between Lp(a) and cardiovascular disease

Lp(a) concentrations may be affected by disease states (for example kidney failure), but are only slightly affected by diet, exercise, and other environmental factors. High Lp(a) correlates with early atherosclerosis independently of other cardiac risk factors, including LDL.

If the level is high, treatment should be started to bring the level down. In addition, the patient's other cardiovascular risk factors (including LDL levels) should be managed optimally. Apart from the total Lp(a) plasma concentration, the apo(a) isoform might be an important risk parameter as well.