Hyperlipidemia

If your cholesterol or triglycerides are high, you may be worried about what that means for your heart and long-term health.

Hyperlipidemia is the medical term for high cholesterol and other fats in the blood.

Left untreated, hyperlipidemia can raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, and pancreatitis. At Diabetes & Glandular Disease Clinic, we provide personalized hyperlipidemia treatment in San Antonio and look for underlying conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disease, and insulin resistance that may be affecting your cholesterol levels.

Hyperlipidemia means you have high levels of fats in your blood, including cholesterol and triglycerides.

When these levels stay too high, they can raise your risk of heart disease, stroke, and pancreatitis.

Hyperlipidemia is often linked to other metabolic and hormone-related conditions, including:

• Diabetes
• Thyroid disease
• Insulin resistance
• PCOS
• Excess weight

Cholesterol and triglycerides are two types of fats in the blood. Your body needs them to function, but levels that are too high can increase the risk of heart disease and pancreatitis.

A lipid panel is a blood test that measures:

• LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol)
• HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol)
• Triglycerides
• Total cholesterol

Some lipid panels also include non-HDL cholesterol to provide more information about heart disease risk.

Your lipid panel shows whether your cholesterol and triglyceride levels are in a healthy range.

Total Cholesterol

• Desirable: Less than 200 mg/dL
• Borderline high: 200 to 239 mg/dL
• High: 240 mg/dL or higher

LDL Cholesterol

• Optimal: Less than 100 mg/dL
• Near optimal: 100 to 129 mg/dL
• Borderline high: 130 to 159 mg/dL
• High: 160 to 189 mg/dL
• Very high: 190 mg/dL or higher

People with diabetes, heart disease, or prior stroke may need LDL levels below 70 mg/dL.

HDL Cholesterol

• Low: Below 40 mg/dL in men and below 50 mg/dL in women
• Protective: 60 mg/dL or higher

Triglycerides

• Normal: Less than 150 mg/dL
• Borderline high: 150 to 199 mg/dL
• High: 200 to 499 mg/dL
• Very high: 500 mg/dL or higher

Hyperlipidemia usually does not cause symptoms. Most people feel completely normal.

Many people first learn they have high cholesterol during routine blood work.

Regular screening is especially important if you have:

• Diabetes
• Excess weight
• Thyroid disease
• High blood pressure
• A family history of heart disease

Hormones help control how your body uses fats and energy. When hormone levels change, cholesterol and triglycerides can rise.

Conditions linked to hyperlipidemia include:

• Diabetes
• Prediabetes
• Insulin resistance
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperthyroidism
• PCOS
• Cushing syndrome
• Obesity
• Acromegaly
• Long-term steroid use

Treating the underlying condition may improve your cholesterol levels. Some people also need medication.

Diabetes changes the way your body processes fats.

This can lead to:

• High triglycerides
• Low HDL cholesterol
• Cholesterol patterns that increase heart disease risk

Because diabetes raises your risk of heart disease and stroke, managing cholesterol is an important part of your care.

The thyroid helps regulate metabolism.

When thyroid hormone levels are low, your body processes fats more slowly, which can raise cholesterol levels.

Treating hypothyroidism may help lower cholesterol.

Your doctor may recommend thyroid testing if you also have symptoms such as:

• Fatigue
• Weight gain
• Constipation
• Dry skin
• Feeling cold more easily

High cholesterol is not always caused by lifestyle habits.

Some lipid disorders are inherited and can run in families. This is why family history is an important part of your evaluation.

Hyperlipidemia is diagnosed with a lipid panel blood test.

Some tests require fasting, but many people can have accurate testing without fasting.

If your lipid levels are high, your doctor may order more tests to check for diabetes, thyroid disease, or inherited lipid disorders.

Treatment depends on which lipid levels are high and your overall health.

Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle changes often include:

• Improving eating habits
• Increasing physical activity
• Quitting smoking
• Managing blood sugar
• Limiting alcohol

Weight Reduction

Excess weight can contribute to:

• Insulin resistance
• High triglycerides
• Abnormal cholesterol levels
• Increased cardiovascular risk

Losing weight can improve blood sugar, blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol.

Medications

If lifestyle changes are not enough, medication may be recommended.

Statins are commonly used to lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Other medications may include:

• Ezetimibe
• PCSK9 inhibitors
• Fibrates
• Prescription omega-3 fatty acids

Triglyceride levels above 500 mg/dL often require prompt treatment to reduce the risk of pancreatitis.

Hyperlipidemia often causes no symptoms, but it can raise your risk of heart disease and other serious health problems. The good news is that lifestyle changes, treatment for hormone-related conditions, and medication can help lower high cholesterol and triglycerides.

At Diabetes & Glandular Disease Clinic, we provide personalized hyperlipidemia treatment in San Antonio. We look beyond your cholesterol numbers to identify related conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disease, and insulin resistance that may be affecting your cardiovascular risk.

Schedule an appointment today to take control of your cholesterol and protect your long-term health.

1. Can you have high cholesterol and feel completely normal?

Yes. High cholesterol and triglycerides usually cause no symptoms. Many people do not know their levels are high until routine blood work shows a problem.

2. Does diabetes increase the risk of high cholesterol?

Yes. Diabetes and insulin resistance can change how your body processes fats. This can lead to high triglycerides and unhealthy cholesterol levels that raise your risk of heart disease.

3. Can thyroid problems affect cholesterol levels?

Low thyroid hormone levels can raise cholesterol. Treating thyroid disease may help improve your lipid levels.