Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: lek. Katarzyna Banaszczyk

Increased lipid levels are associated primarily with diseases of the cardiovascular system and with an increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. Can elevated cholesterol be seen on the patient's skin? What changes on the skin can it cause? Check how their treatment is going.

High ortoo high cholesterolmeans lipid disorders in the form of dyslipidemia, in the course of which the concentrations of individual lipids are too high, which adversely affects the human body, in particular the cardiovascular system vascular. Can too high cholesterol appear on the skin?

What does high cholesterol mean?

In order to diagnose lipid disorders, simple laboratory tests are performed, such as the lipidogram (called by some people the lipid panel). A lipidogram is nothing else than the determination of the levels (concentrations) of individual types of lipids in the blood, which include:

  • total cholesterol - this is an assessment of the total level of cholesterol in the blood,
  • LDL cholesterol fraction - this is the so-called "bad cholesterol" that accumulates in the walls of blood vessels, which in turn leads to the development of atherosclerosis, and thus cardiovascular diseases - ischemic heart disease, the most dangerous effect of which is myocardial infarction or stroke,
  • HDL cholesterol fraction - the so-called "good" cholesterol. In men, the normal level of HDL cholesterol should be more than 40 mg / dl, and in women, more than 50 mg / dl,
  • triglycerides (triglycerides) - chemically these are esters of glycerol and fatty acids. Their level should not exceed 150 mg / dl.

Dyslipidemias are not a homogeneous group of diseases. What groups of lipid disorders do we distinguish? It's worth organizing this information before we move on to describing skin changes, typical of elevated cholesterol levels.

What is hypercholesterolaemia?

Hypercholesterolaemia is diagnosed on the basis of the concentration of bad LDL cholesterol - however, what level is appropriate for a given patient depends on several issues, including age, gender, and comorbidities. These factors influence cardiovascular risk- the higher the risk, the lower the LDL values ​​should be.

Generally, in he althy people, LDL levels above 115 mg / dL are considered abnormal. In most cases, hypercholesterolaemia has a genetic basis - it is then the primary hypercholesterolaemia.

However, this condition may also result from other diseases, such as hypothyroidism, nephrotic syndrome, or the use of certain medications (steroids, hormonal contraception).

What is atherogenic dyslipidemia?

This disorder is diagnosed by elevated triglycerides, lowered HDL cholesterol (the so-called "good" cholesterol), and the presence of abnormal "bad" cholesterol particles - that is, small, dense LDL.

To confirm the presence of atherogenic dyslipidemia, all three lipid disorders must be found.

Atherogenic dyslipidemia does not have characteristic symptoms, but patients with this disorder are more likely to struggle with diabetes, obesity and overweight. In treatment, statins play a major role - drugs that lower cholesterol, especially LDL, and in some situations also fibrates (described below). It is also extremely important to reduce body weight and a diet recommended in lipid disorders.

Hypertriglyceridemia - what is this disease?

It is diagnosed by high blood triglyceride levels. Severe triglyceridemia is considered to be when the triglyceride concentration is greater than 500 mg / dl. LDL cholesterol levels are typically low, while total cholesterol levels may be elevated. In some cases, the concentration of triglycerides may exceed 1000 mg / dL.

Symptoms that may accompany high triglycerides are primarily paroxysmal abdominal pain, which may be a sign of developing acute pancreatitis (acute pancreatitis). High concentration of triglycerides is a factor predisposing to the development of this disease.

Treatment of hypertriglyceridemia consists primarily of diet, prohibition of alcohol consumption, and in advanced cases also pharmacological treatment with fibrates, i.e. substances that lower the concentration of this lipid fraction.

Moreover, these drugs can raise the level of good cholesterol, the HDL fraction. Fibrates are contraindicated in people with certain liver and kidney diseases, in patients with gallstone disease, and in women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Omega-3 fatty acids are also helpful in lowering triglycerides.

High cholesterol and skin changes. What areYellows?

Can high cholesterol be visible on our skin? In some situations, yes. We are talking about familial hypercholesterolaemia, i.e. a genetically determined disease that causes an accelerated development of atherosclerosis.

With this condition, the skin may develop so-called yellows, also called yellow tufts. These are flat-raised nodular lesions that are typically soft and most often located on:

  • eyelids,
  • over the ponds,
  • on the straight surfaces of the limbs, above the tendons (typically on the skin above the Achilles tendon)
  • sometimes on the hands and in skin folds.

Yellow tufts appearing above the joints are referred to as the nodular variety. They are often larger than those on the eyelids and have a more pinkish tint.

Yellow tufts are nothing more than macrophages, i.e. cells of the immune system that have absorbed lipids. Such lipid-containing cells are called foam cells or Toucon cells.

Skin changes in the course of hypercholesterolaemia - treatment

It should be emphasized that the treatment of skin lesions in the course of hypercholesterolaemia requires, first of all, the treatment of the underlying disease.

It is necessary to significantly change the lifestyle, introduce an appropriate diet, physical activity, as well as appropriate pharmacological treatment aimed at lowering cholesterol levels.

It is extremely important not so much because of its cosmetic properties, but mainly because of the necessary reduction of the risk of serious complications of atherosclerosis, such as myocardial infarction or stroke.

It is worth having your cholesterol level checked. A laboratory test, such as a lipid profile, may be ordered by our family doctor. This is especially important when someone in our family suffers from dyslipidemia, as well as when we are struggling with diseases such as obesity, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.

Probe

Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Category:

Dermatology