Cholesterol imbalances are common. High cholesterol, called hypercholesterolemia, is more common than low cholesterol. The optimal range for total cholesterol in the bloodstream is between 180 and 220 mg/dL. Ideally, your LDL cholesterol should be under 100 mg/dL and your HDL should be at least 50 mg/dL.
LDL cholesterol is sometimes called “bad”, while HDL is often referred to as “good”. The reasons are that LDL gets stuck in the bloodstream and can become oxidized (hardened) on the walls of the vessels, while HDL carries LDL away from the bloodstream and back to the liver for processing or disposal.
Some blood cholesterol comes from the foods that you eat. But most is created by the liver. It is believed that eliminating cholesterol from the diet would only cause the liver to produce more, as cholesterol is needed for a variety of purposes in your body.
Hypercholesterolemia is considered a major risk factor for heart disease. So, this is the biggest problem associated with cholesterol imbalance. The next sections of this article cover the causes and symptoms of hypercholesterolemia and low cholesterol.
Causes
A subtype of hypercholesterolemia is called familial hypercholesterolemia. It is caused by a genetic defect and is fairly uncommon. Most cases of hypercholesterolemia are caused by one or more of the following:
· Excessive alcohol consumption – stimulates the liver to produce more cholesterol
· Cigarette smoking
· Type II diabetes
· Metabolic syndrome
· Obesity
· Lack of physical activity
· Unhealthy diet
Although cholesterol in the diet has very little effect on blood cholesterol levels, saturated fats and trans-fats have a major impact. Excessive saturated or trans-fat in your regular diet can cause hypercholesterolemia.
Sucrose and fructose can raise LDL levels. Sugary snacks, soft drinks and fruit juices are the main sources of sucrose and fructose in the average diet.
Low fiber intake is another cause. Fiber absorbs cholesterol from the foods that you eat and carries it out of the body. Fiber can also prevent the reabsorption of cholesterol in the small intestine.
Symptoms
Early in life, hypercholesterolemia causes no symptoms. Young people with a history of familial hypercholesterolemia are urged to have screening done in order to get early treatment that can reduce the risk of heart disease. Untreated familial hypercholesterolemia may cause visible symptoms. Yellow deposits may form under the skin around the eyes, on the pals of the hands and on the knees or elbows.
If hypercholesterolemia continued for decades, it contributes to the formation of plaques that can partially or completely occlude the arteries. A symptom of insufficient blood supply to the legs, caused by this kind of partial occlusion, is calf pain when walking. If the intestines are affected, a symptom may be abdominal pain after eating.
Low cholesterol can cause a host of symptoms including depression and muscle pain. Drug treatment for hypercholesterolemia is one of the causes of dangerously low cholesterol. The drugs also inhibit the production of coenzyme Q10 in the liver. CO Q-10 depletion in the muscles can lead to muscle death.
The dangers of hypercholesterolemia and of low cholesterol may be avoidable without medication.
Larry L Taylor
