Los cardiovascular risk factors associated with a higher probability of suffering a cardiovascular disease are the cholesterolthe diabetesthe hypertensionthe smokingthe Genetic heritagethe stressthe obesity and the heart rate.
The hypercholesterolemia It has no symptoms or physical signs, so its diagnosis can only be made through a blood test that determines the levels of cholesterol and also of the triglycerides.
It is advisable that people at risk of suffering from a dislipemiawho have relatives with ischemic heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases, undergo screening to determine their levels of cholesterol from early ages.
high risk
People with blood cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL have twice the risk of suffering from a myocardial infarction than those with figures below 200 mg/dL.
It is recommended for patients who have suffered myocardial infarction o accidente cerebral keep figures of cholesterol too low to keep your arteries healthy.
The prevalence and trend of cardiovascular risk factors in Spain and Europe it is on the rise, as a consequence, among other factors, of a sedentary lifestyle, stress and poor diet. This leads to the use of statins to prevent heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular problems.
Prevention
The hypercholesterolemia It can be prevented by following a balanced diet without saturated fats. In this sense, the Mediterranean diet It is the ideal one because its contribution of fats comes fundamentally from the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids present in fish and olive and seed oils. The consumption of vegetables, legumes, cereals, vegetables and fruits is also important.
It is also necessary to adopt a program of aerobic exercise, such as walking, easy running, cycling, swimming…, at moderate intensity, between 65-70 percent of maximum heart rate, and carried out on a regular basis, from three to five sessions per week; increase HDL and lower LDL and triglyceride levels.
Pharmacological agenda
Once the diagnosis dislipemiaand if diet and physical exercise do not manage to lower the levels by themselves, a pharmacological treatment should be chosen.
The choice of drugs depends on the dominant anomaly; elevated LDL, elevated triglycerides or elevated levels in both cases.
In secondary prevention the most effective treatment following a statin is the association with for this timesince it triples the decrease in LDL (18%) compared to the 6% decrease by doubling the statin dose.
For the preparation of this article, we have had the collaboration of the doctors specializing in General Medicine Lorenzo de la Peña López, Virginia Fernández González, José Ramón Fernández Fonfría, Balbino Pascual del Valle and Zulema Gómez del Río, from Torrelavega.
