High Cholesterol Is a Silent Killer

The first set of guidelines to help people control their high cholesterol levels has arrived in India. India is among the many countries where cardiologists are adhering to the 2019 guidelines published by the European Society of Cardiology. The first-ever guidelines for the management of dyslipidemia (high cholesterol) in India were announced on July 4 by the 22-member Cardiolgocial Society of India (CSI).

A medical condition called dyslipidemia is characterized by abnormal levels of lipids (fats) in the blood, such as high triglycerides or cholesterol. The risk of heart disease, stroke, and other diseases can increase because of this imbalance. Medications, exercise, and a healthy diet are often used to treat this condition.

High triglyceride levels, low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels are hallmarks of this disease. Dyslipidemia, nicknamed the “silent killer” because it has no symptoms, is a key marker of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.

How to know your lipid profile?
A blood test measures lipid profile, or total cholesterol. A small sample of blood is taken by a healthcare professional, usually from a vein in the arm.

The overall amount of cholesterol, which includes low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and a percentage of triglycerides, is then determined by laboratory analysis of the sample.

The recommended minimum cholesterol level is less than 100 mg/DL, or milligrams of sugar per deciliter.

Although high cholesterol is fairly common nationally, metropolitan areas bear a disproportionate share of this burden.

After noting the increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and the fact that India has the highest rate of premature deaths due to CVD in the world, health professionals across the country have released the lipid guidelines.

According to the study conducted by CSI, low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol were observed in people living in almost all states of India except Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana and Manipur.

While LDL (bad) cholesterol level was highest in the northern region, Kerala and Goa.