Your physician may baffle you with a diagnosis of dyslipidemia or hyperlipidemia. While you may receive treatment for these conditions it is important to know the differences that cause the problems and what changes in your lifestyle that you need to take to help control the problems.
Dyslipidemia and hyperlipidemia both involve the storage of lipids and fat. The major difference in the health problems caused by the conditions, the treatments that you may need to overcome the problem, and the changes in your lifestyle that can get you back to better health depend on where the lipids and fat are stored. They also depend on how the lipids and fats are stored.
Dyslipidemia
Dyslipidemia is an abnormally high or abnormally low concentration of lipids and fats in the blood. You need a certain amount of fat, lipids, and lipoproteins in your blood. Blood serves as a vehicle for transporting fats and lipids to other parts of the body where the fast and lipids are converted into body tissues, enzymes, and other essential compounds.
Dyslipidemia can be considered as a cholesterol problem. Most people are aware that high cholesterol causes a deterioration of the arteries and can produce a fatal heart condition. The treatment for high cholesterol is usually a change in diet and the use of a statin drug to increase the beneficial cholesterol levels and decrease the levels of harmful cholesterol.
Low cholesterol can occur. This component of dyslipidemia is usually a function of an abnormal enzyme function and is often inherited.
Hyperlipidemia
Hyperlipidemia indicates that the levels of cholesterol and fat in your entire body are too high compared to the levels that physicians and scientists have determined are healthy. Every part of the body stores fat and needs a certain level of fat for proper function. The problems begin when the levels of lipids and fat are too high throughout the entire body.
Hyperlipidemia can be caused by diabetes and can lead to the development of diabetes. Hyperlipidemia can have a genetic source but is most often associated with lifestyle and diet. Hyperlipidemia that is caused by diabetes is usually treated with insulin or a drug that mimics the function of insulin. Hyperlipidemia that results from eating too much fat, not getting enough exercise, and not eating a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables can be controlled with changes in lifestyle.
It is unfortunate but true that the majority of people that have hyperlipidemia cannot or will not make the changes in their life that could prevent them from having diabetes or heart disease. Statins can control part of the problem but a change in diet and the level of exercise a person gets on a daily basis can produce the needed changes to keep a person healthy.
Dyslipidemia and hyperlipidemia both involve the storage of fats and lipids. The conditions vary in the location of storage of fats and lipids and vary in the causes, treatments, and disease that can result from the conditions.