High Cholesterol
High Cholesterol: Introduction
Cholesterol is a naturally occurring waxy, fat-like substance that is present in your blood and in the body's cells. It is both made by the body itself and brought into the body through eating foods such as animal meats, which contains various levels of cholesterol. Cholesterol is a necessary element in the proper functioning of your body. However, when cholesterol levels become too high, they can result in the buildup of plaque on the walls of the arteries and block the flow of blood to vital organs. This can lead to the development of serious conditions, such as atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), blood clots, hypertension, heart disease, heart attack (myocardial infarction), and stroke. Heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the United States. More than a million Americans have heart attacks, and about a half million people die from heart disease every year, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood institute.
Cholesterol is comprised primarily of three components, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides. When the levels and balance of HDL, LDL, and triglycerides in your body are not normal, they increase the risk for developing serious cardiovascular conditions. When the HDL and LDL triglycerides are present in the right levels and balance in your body, cholesterol functions to protect health, including cardiovascular health. High cholesterol is also known as hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia.
Symptoms of High Cholesterol
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symptoms of High Cholesterol
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical testing related to High Cholesterol:
High Cholesterol: Complications
Review possible medical complications related to High Cholesterol:
Disease Topics Related To High Cholesterol
Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, High Cholesterol:
Medical Textbooks Online about High Cholesterol
Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Diagnostic Tests for High Cholesterol
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Wrongly Diagnosed with High Cholesterol?
High Cholesterol: Self Assessment Tools
High Cholesterol: Medical Mistakes
High Cholesterol: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers
Products, offers and promotion categories available for High Cholesterol:
High Cholesterol: Undiagnosed Conditions
Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:
Misdiagnosis and High Cholesterol
Metabolic syndrome often undiagnosed: Metabolic syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, is
an often overlooked medical condition that causes a cluster of chronic symptoms.
There are often four...read more »
Heart attacks can be undiagnosed: Although the most severe symptoms of heart attack are hard to miss,
there are varying degrees of severity.
It is altogether too common for people to die from undiagnosed heart attack, or from...read more »
Heart attacks can be overdiagnosed: Although many people die from heart attacks, there are also
many cases where people fear that they have a heart attack, but actually have...read more »
Unnecessary hysterectomies due to undiagnosed bleeding disorder in women: The bleeding disorder
called Von Willebrand's disease is quite common in women, but often fails to be...read more »
Undiagnosed causes of weight gain and obesity: Although obesity may be related to lifestyle issues,
there are also a number of medical causes of weight gain or obesity that may go undiagnosed.
Some of the various...read more »
Read more about Misdiagnosis and High Cholesterol
High Cholesterol: Research Doctors & Specialists
Research related physicians and medical specialists:
- Cholesterol Specialists:
- Cardiac (Heart) Specialists:
- Blood Health Specialists (Hematology):
- more specialists...»
Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:
Hospitals & Clinics: High Cholesterol
Research quality ratings and patient safety measures
for medical facilities in specialties related to High Cholesterol:
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Choosing the Best Hospital:
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on hospital performance and surgical care quality:
High Cholesterol: Rare Types
Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:
Causes of High Cholesterol
See full list of 27
causes of High Cholesterol
More information about causes of High Cholesterol:
Treatments for High Cholesterol
See full list of 34
treatments for High Cholesterol
News Archives for High Cholesterol
Medical news articles related to High Cholesterol include:
Source: HealthDay News
Evidence Based Medicine Research for High Cholesterol
Medical research articles related to High Cholesterol include:
Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database
Videos for High Cholesterol
Learn the basics of high cholesterol, and it's consequences on the cardiovascular system.
Elevated blood lipids, including cholesterol, are frequently seen in HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy. Listen as experts describe the problem,...
Elevated cholesterol can occur as a side effect from HIV treatments. Hear how one person with HIV steps up to the challenge of getting his...
For the 8 million Americans considered morbidly obese, health problems are virtually inevitable. But new procedures are helping people take the...
See full list of 34 related videos
Patient Surveys for High Cholesterol
Prognosis for High Cholesterol
Prognosis for High Cholesterol:
Prognosis varies depending on adherence and individual response to treatment plans. The aim is to prevent complications such as cardiovascular disease.
More about prognosis of High Cholesterol
Reseach about High Cholesterol
Visit our research pages for current research about High Cholesterol treatments.
Clinical Trials for High Cholesterol
The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally
and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.
Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for High Cholesterol include:
See full list of 197
Clinical Trials for High Cholesterol
Statistics for High Cholesterol
High Cholesterol: Broader Related Topics
Types of High Cholesterol
Types of High Cholesterol
Read more about Types of High Cholesterol
Curable Types of High Cholesterol
Possibly curable types of High Cholesterol include:
- Nephrotic syndrome induced hypercholesterolemia
- Alcohol induced hypercholesterolemia
- Steroid induced hypercholesterolemia
- Anorexia nervosa induced hypercholesterolemia
- Hypothyroidism induced hypercholesterolemia
- Drug induced hypercholesterolemia- cimetidine, antiepileptics, tamoxifen
- more types...»
Rare Types of High Cholesterol:
Rare types of High Cholesterol include:
- Acute pancreatitis induced hypercholesterolemia
- Glycogen storage disease induced hypercholesterolemia
- Anorexia nervosa induced hypercholesterolemia
- Familial hypercholesterolemia
- Syndrome X induced hypercholesterolemia
- more types...»
Stories from Users Related to High Cholesterol
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Article Excerpts about High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the liver to help meet the
body’s need for hormones and bile acids. It also enters the body when
high-fat foods are consumed and when the body’s cholesterol level is
higher than necessary for normal cell functioning. The resulting high
blood cholesterol is a condition that greatly increases your chances of
developing coronary heart disease. That is because extra cholesterol in
the blood settles on the inner walls of the arteries, narrowing them,
allowing less blood to pass through them to the heart. The higher your
total blood cholesterol level, the greater your heart disease risk. (Source: excerpt from High Blood Cholesterol: NWHIC)
Definitions of High Cholesterol:
The presence of an abnormal amount of cholesterol in the cells and plasma of the blood; associated with the risk of atherosclerosis
- (Source - WordNet 2.1)
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