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Lipid Disorders

Lipid Terms

Blood lipids (or blood fats) may cause health problems when they are too high or too low. Here are some terms for lipid disorders:

• Hyperlipidemia -- a general term for high blood fats.
• Hypercholesterolemia -- high blood cholesterol, especially LDL-cholesterol.
• Hypertriglyceridemia -- high blood triglyceride. High triglyceride may be caused by health habits and/or genetics. It may also come from other health problems such as diabetes.
• Combined hyperlipidemia -- high cholesterol together with high triglycerides.
• Familial combined hyperlipidemia - high cholesterol, high triglyceride, or both among family members.

Atherosclerosis

Hypercholesterolemia can cause the inner layer of the artery wall to be made thick and irregular by deposits of fatty substance and cells called plaque, or atherosclerotic plaque. Plaque narrows the diameter of the blood vessel and impedes blood flow. This may lead to chest or leg pain during exercise and increased risk of heart attack. Risk factors for atherosclerosis include smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, high blood sugar, family history of atherosclerosis at an early age, and sedentary lifestyle. Other less well known risk factors are high plasma Lp(a), homocysteine, c-reactive protein, and fibrinogen.