Other Conditions

Dyslipidemia contributes to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. This is a disease in which fatty deposits called plaque build up in the arteries over time. The arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. If plaque narrows your arteries, you are more likely to have heart disease, a heart attack, a stroke, and peripheral artery disease, which is reduced blood flow in the limbs, most often in the legs.

Angina pectoris, or simply angina, is the medical term for chest pain originating from the heart. High levels of cholesterol can lead to the formation of plaques in the coronary arteries. These plaques can slow the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart, causing angina.

Sometimes the chest discomfort is described not necessarily as pain, but as a feeling of suffocation or pressure. There are many factors that can aggravate the sensation of angina pectoris.

Those factors include:

• High blood pressure
• Fast heart rate
• Heart failure
• Thyroid problems
• Tobacco use and smoking
• Anemia, or
• The use of drugs that increase heart rate and blood pressure, such as over-the-counter medications normally taken for colds

Dyslipidemia can indirectly lead to heart failure. As the blood vessels become more clogged, the heart is unable to move enough blood through the circulatory system in response to your body’s demands. Either it can’t contract with the proper amount of force, or it can’t relax, allowing the chamber to fill with the blood returning from the lungs. In either case, the blood simply backs up and causes problems.

When the left side of the heart fails, fluid in the blood is forced to move from the blood vessels into the air spaces of the lung itself. This is known as pulmonary edema and is experienced by the patient as difficulty in breathing, and can be seen on a chest X-ray.

The extra volume of blood in the lungs also means that the right ventricle has to pump against an increased pressure. When the pressure is high enough that it can no longer do this, blood backs up into the rest of the body. The most vulnerable points in the body are those farthest away from the heart, such as the feet, where fluid is forced out of the blood stream and into the tissues. Therefore, a failing right ventricle often leads to swollen feet and ankles.

Untreated hyperlipidemia is one of the factors that can contribute to kidney damage by leading to the formation of plaques within the main arteries that supply the kidneys. Over time, this can dramatically reduce blood flow to the kidneys, causing them to lose their natural ability to filter waste and cleanse the blood.

In the early stages of kidney failure, a patient may feel extremely tired, lose their appetite, and feel nauseated. If the kidneys fail altogether, dialysis or a kidney transplant may be required.

For more information about kidney failure and its treatment, check with your provider.

Peripheral vascular disease, or PVD, happens when the arteries that carry blood from the heart to your arms or legs become narrowed or clogged. When this narrowing is severe, you may have pain in your legs or arms with exertion. This is because there isn’t enough blood getting to these areas of your body to meet the increased demand for oxygen and nutrients.

Extremely high levels of triglycerides cause an increased risk of developing pancreatitis. The pancreas is an important organ, located in the abdomen, which secretes digestive enzymes and insulin. Pancreatitis is a generalized inflammation of the pancreas.

The symptoms of pancreatitis include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, mild jaundice, chills, fever, and weakness. The initial treatment for pancreatitis often includes changes to the diet with strict avoidance of alcohol, fat, and restriction of calories. Medications to lower triglycerides, such as fibrates, may also be considered.