USF-COM
Department
of Family Medicine
Patient Education Information on...
Index of
Patient Education Topics
What
does it mean to me ?
Hypercholesterolemia
is a disease in which your blood levels
of cholesterol are too high. The problem with cholesterol is that
it can accumulate along the walls of your blood vessels and form what are
called plaques. Over time, these blood vessels can become blocked, either
by the plaques themselves or by blood clots that form on top of the plaques.
If the vessel that becomes blocked is in your heart or brain, you can have
a BIG problem (Heart Attack or Stroke).
The bottom line is: Elevated cholesterol levels have
been shown to increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and other problems
associated with clogged blood vessels.
The good news is that cholesterol levels
in the normal range have been shown to decrease the risk of first and repeat
heart attacks.
Return
to top of page
What
can I do ?
There are two sources of cholesterol, that
which you eat in your diet and that which your body makes. You are
able to control the cholesterol you get in your diet; your doctor may have
to help you control the cholesterol that your body makes by prescribing
a cholesterol-lowering drug for you. In either case, there are some
things you can do to lower your cholesterol and decrease your risk of heart
attack or stroke.
1. Exercise
- This will help you lower your "bad" cholesterol and elevate
your "good" cholesterol (yes, there is "good" cholesterol). Exercise
will also help you lose weight and feel better. In
general, you should try to get 30 minutes
of aerobic activity three times a week. Brisk walking
is a good way to achieve this goal with the least risk of injury.
2. Eat
Healthy - Saturated fat is the dietary ingredient that has
the greatest effect on raising cholesterol. Therefore, a diet that
is low in fat, especially saturated fats, is important in managing your
cholesterol. In general, less than 30% of
your daily calories should come from fat and less than 10% should
be from saturated fats. In addition, if you are overweight, you should
have your doctor counsel you about an appropriate diet that will help you
lose weight.
Check out the web sites listed on the middle
flap of the pamphlet for more information about high cholesterol, exercising
and eating right.
Return
to top of page
What
can my doctor do ?
As mentioned before, your doctor may have
prescribed a cholesterol-lowering agent for you. The most commonly
prescribed class of drugs is the Statins. Statins inhibit your liver's
ability to make cholesterol and therefore decrease the cholesterol in your
blood stream where it does its damage. Examples of statins are Mevacor,
Pravachol,
Lescol,
Zocor
and Lipitor. Another class of
drugs are the bile acid binding resins, these drugs bind cholesterol in
your gut and keep it in your gut until it eliminated as waste, again preventing
cholesterol from getting into your bloodstream. Examples of these
drugs are Colestid and Questran.
If you are on one of these cholesterol
lowering agents, take them as directed and see your doctor regularly.
These drugs are very effective in most people but you must still help the
drugs do their job by following a low-fat diet and exercising.
Return
to top of page
More
information on hypercholesterolemia
Hypercholesterolemia