Symptoms:
You could have dyslipidemia and never know it. Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol doesn’t have obvious symptoms. It’s often discovered during a routine blood test.
However, dyslipidemia can lead to cardiovascular disease, which can be symptomatic. High LDL cholesterol levels are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), which is blockage in the arteries of your heart, and peripheral artery disease (PAD), which is blockage in the arteries of your legs. CAD can lead to chest pain and eventually a heart attack. The main symptom of PAD is leg pain when walking.
Causes:
Several behaviors can lead to dyslipidemia. They include:
• cigarette smoking
• obesity and a sedentary lifestyle
• consumption of foods high in saturated fat and trans fat
Excessive alcohol consumption may also contribute to higher triglyceride levels. You’re at a higher risk of primary dyslipidemia if one or both of your parents had dyslipidemia.
Advancing age is also a risk factor for high cholesterol. Women tend to have lower LDL levels than men until menopause. That’s when women’s LDL levels start to rise. Other medical conditions that can raise your dyslipidemia risk include:
• Type 2 diabetes
• Hypothyroidism
• Chronic kidney disease
Courtesy: Health Line
