Blood Lipid Levels

Blood lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides support the body in many vital processes. However, persistently elevated blood lipid levels can lead to numerous health consequences — including the development of serious vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, up to and including heart attack. Early diagnosis and targeted treatment of this so-called hyperlipidaemia are therefore essential. Our doctors at avi are here to support you at all our locations.

The most informative values for diagnosing hyperlipidaemia are your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. As a rule: in healthy individuals, the lipid metabolism disorder is present when the total cholesterol value exceeds 190 mg/dL. Alternatively, or in addition, the LDL cholesterol value is greater than 115 mg/dL.

However, an HDL cholesterol value below 40 mg/dL (in men) or 45 mg/dL (in women), or a triglyceride value above 150 mg/dL, also signals elevated blood lipid levels.

Good to know: blood lipid values are never considered or treated in isolation — they are always assessed in conjunction with other individual risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Possible causes of hyperlipidaemia include:

• genetic predisposition (e.g. familial hyperlipidaemia)
• poor diet (alcohol, excessive trans fats and saturated fatty acids from highly processed foods)
• physical inactivity
• pre-existing conditions such as hypothyroidism, renal impairment, and type 2 diabetes mellitus
• pregnancy
• certain medications such as hormonal preparations and antiretroviral medications

Elevated blood lipid levels are generally asymptomatic for a long time and are frequently only discovered through accompanying and secondary manifestations. These include:

• atherosclerotic events (heart attack, stroke)
• lipid deposits in the skin (yellow patches or nodules)
• hepatic steatosis (fatty liver)

Successful treatment of hyperlipidaemia begins with early diagnosis. At avi, this involves a holistic screening comprising the following components:

• taking a medical history (including family history)
• laboratory testing (total cholesterol)
• in the event of an abnormal result: additional determination of LDL, HDL, and triglyceride ("blood lipid") values

For the subsequent therapy, the following measures are taken depending on the severity of the hyperlipidaemia:

• lifestyle modification (healthy diet and sufficient physical activity)
• as a supplement: medications (e.g. statins alone or in combination with other lipid-lowering agents)

In the final step, our experienced doctors at avi ensure your lasting health through comprehensive follow-up care. This includes:

• regular laboratory monitoring
• in high-risk patients, additionally: supplementary examinations such as liver ultrasound