Hypercholesterolemia

In the simplest terms, hypercholesterolemia may be any excessive amount of cholesterol in the blood. The clinical definition however, as outlined by the University of Maryland Medical Center [UMMC] (2010), considers a total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL or higher to be high cholesterol. Within this total is the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL or “good” cholesterol) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad” cholesterol). Below 40 mg/dL is considered poor for HDL, while an optimal level of 60 mg/dL or above is more desirable. A LDL level of 160-189 mg/dL is considered high, and the optimal level is 100-129 mg/dL. In addition to LDL and HDL cholesterols, a third type of fatty material, collectively known as triglycerides, may be found within the blood. A triglyceride level above 200 mg/dL is high, but the desirable level is below 150mg/dL. Generally, as triglyceride levels rise, HDL cholesterol falls (UMMC, 2010).

Tortora & Derrickson (2009) further illuminates the distinction between LDL and HDL cholesterols and why these differences incur such conflicting effects in the body. LDLs convey about 75% of the total cholesterol in blood and deliver it throughout the body to cells so that they may repair cell membranes and create steroid hormones and bile salts (p. 991). However, when their number exceeds what is necessary, LDLs leave cholesterol in and around the smooth muscle fibers in arteries (p. 991). Thus, LDLs have earned a “bad” reputation. In contrast, HDLs remove excess cholesterol from body cells and blood and transport it to the liver for subsequent elimination, preventing its accumulation in the blood (p. 991). Thus, their “good” reputation is safe. It is important to remember though that both LDL and HDL cholesterols, as well as triglycerides, are essential in certain amounts, and LDLs and HDLs together make up the total cholesterol level used in the diagnosis of high cholesterol.

According to the UMMC (2010), there are usually no symptoms of high cholesterol, especially in the early stages of the condition. The only way to diagnose an individual with high cholesterol is with a blood test, and doctors recommend that patients fast beforehand so that results only reflect usable HDL and LDL levels (“How to get”, 2012). Since too much cholesterol circulating within the blood can create sticky deposits called plaque along the artery walls, a diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia may have very real health significance for the patient.