The lipid profile is a blood test that measures the concentration of cholesterol, its LDL and HDL fractions, and triglycerides. The lipid profile is much more reliable than the measurement of total blood cholesterol. Perform the lipid profile regularly to avoid, for example, atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke. What are cholesterol standards? How to interpret the results of the lipid profile?

The lipid profileis much more accurate than the basic and most frequently performed test - total cholesterol determination. Lipid profile (lipid profile) -testconsisting in determining not only the level of total cholesterol, but also its fractionLDL , HDL and triglycerides (triglycerides).

Why is it so important? Because only on the basis of all these results, it is possible to assess the actual fat (lipid) metabolism in the body, which determines the condition of the circulatory system, and thus - the risk of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke.

In your own interest, you should check your lipid profile prophylactically, depending on your age and he alth condition. The first measurement should be done around the age of 20.

Lipid profile: triglycerides

These are the so-called neutral fats. A high level of these indicates that there is generally too much fat in the blood. Increased triglyceride levels are usually observed in people who eat a lot of sweets (they can be sweet snacks - a bar, candy, which we often do not notice), diabetics, obese. Too much of these fats is as dangerous as excess cholesterol and contributes to the development of ischemic heart disease, especially when HDL values ​​are lowered.

If the result is correct, the test should be repeated every 5 years. Women over 50 and men over 45 should take a lipid profile every year. And if the result is abnormal, then the control analyzes must be repeated as prescribed by the doctor. Children are only tested for cholesterol if their parents have had coronary heart disease prematurely and are obese. A referral is needed for the examination under the National He alth Fund. Privately, you have to pay about PLN 50 for a lipidogram. The study does not take time, it isdrawing blood from a vein.

Also preparations are not troublesome. You must come to the laboratory on an empty stomach, after a minimum 8-hour break in eating. Just drinking juice, tea or coffee with sugar can distort the value of triglycerides in the blood. In order for the result to reflect the actual state of the body's lipid metabolism, in the days leading up to the test, you should eat normally, not avoiding alcohol, if you drink it habitually. Only the supper on the eve of the test should be slightly digestible and alcohol-free, because the results will be false.

Try it out

Author: Time S.A

Remember that a properly selected diet will lower the concentration of "bad" cholesterol and help in the fight against cardiovascular diseases. Take advantage of JeszCoLubisz - the innovative dietary system of the He alth Guide and enjoy an individually selected plan and constant care of a dietitian. Take care of your he alth and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke.

Find out more

Lipid profile - check your result

Between the ages of 2 and 18, the cholesterol concentration is 12-140 mg / dl, then it increases by about 2.2 mg per year. According to the guidelines of the Polish Prevention Forum, correct lipid values ​​in an adult should be:

  • total cholesterol - less than 190 mg / dL (5 mmol / L)
  • LDL fraction - less than 115 mg / dL (3 mmol / L)
  • HDL (for men) - over 40 mg / dL (1 mmol / L)
  • HDL (for women) - over 45 mg / dL (1.2 mmol / L)
  • triglycerides - less than 150 mg / dL (1.7 mmol / dL)

The results in some laboratories may differ from each other. It depends on how your lipid levels are calculated. Therefore, on the printout, next to the results of your test, you will also find the standards adopted in the laboratory where it was made. However, generally accepted indicators apply only to he althy people.

If you have had a heart attack, you should have a total cholesterol of no more than 180 mg / dl, and after a heart attack and diabetes - no more than 165 mg / dl. In people at risk of complications of atherosclerosis (smokers, sedentary, obese people), the LDL cholesterol level should be below 100 mg / dl, while after a heart attack and with diabetes - lower than 70 mg / dl.

Problem

Total cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty compound that has many beneficial functions in the body. It is part of cell membranes, participates in the production of hormones, the synthesis of bile acids necessary for the digestion of fats, is involved in the production of vitamin D, and plays an important role in the work of the brain.

It's okay when your cholesterol is kept at the right level. To correctfor the functioning of all organs, it is sufficient for what the organism itself produces. It accounts for 80 percent. total cholesterol circulating in the body, 20 percent. we deliver with food. It is dietary cholesterol that increases the level of total cholesterol in our blood.

And when there is too much of it, it builds up in the inner walls of blood vessels in the form of atherosclerotic plaques. Less and less oxygen and nutrients reach the cells. Eventually, ischemic heart disease (coronary artery) develops, and the brain's performance decreases. When the atherosclerotic plaque seals one or more vessels in the heart, a heart attack occurs. An obstruction in one of the arteries that supply the brain leads to a stroke, and a rupture of the vessel that supplies blood to the brain leads to a stroke. Atherosclerotic changes may damage the retina of the eye, lead to ischemia of the legs, and kidney failure.

See the gallery of 7 photos

Where does elevated cholesterol come from?

Increased cholesterol may be genetically determined. Then it is a congenital lack or a malfunction of the receptors responsible for the absorption and breakdown of the LDL fraction. It can also be the result of some metabolic diseases, such as hypothyroidism, or taking certain medications, such as diuretics or progestagens. But don't be deceived: most often metabolic disorders, manifested by increased levels of total cholesterol and / or LDL (hypercholesterolaemia) and triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia), we fund ourselves at our own request, leading an unhe althy lifestyle.

Read: 17 cholesterol busters

When a fatty diet and lack of exercise combine with a genetic disposition, the risk of lipid disorders increases sharply.

Important

HDL cholesterol (good)

HDL (high density lipoproteins) cholesterol, also known as good cholesterol, is lipoproteins (compounds between fats and proteins) that contain more protein than cholesterol, but are more dense. We have less blood in our blood than bad cholesterol.

It also penetrates the walls of the arteries, but does not accumulate in them, but acts as an antagonist to LDL - it takes some of the residual cholesterol in them and transports it back to the liver. There it combines with proteins again, forming lipoproteins, or it is converted into bile acids and excreted from the body.

Cholesterol of this fraction acts as a blood vessel cleaner and lowers the concentration of bad cholesterol in the blood, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. People who have low HDL levels are at higher risk of coronary heart disease, even when total cholesterol levels are normal.Good cholesterol levels are generally lower in smokers and increase in physically active people.

LDL cholesterol (bad)

Low density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol, also known as bad cholesterol, is a lipoprotein that contains a lot of low density cholesterol in a thin protein shell. Therefore, LDL particles readily enter the bloodstream, playing a major role in the development of atherosclerosis.

Long-term studies have shown a direct relationship between LDL cholesterol and ischemic heart disease. People with high levels of bad cholesterol are at a higher risk of atherosclerosis than those with high levels of total cholesterol, but those with high levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol are the worst offenders.

"Zdrowie" monthly

Category:

Research