Hyperlipidemia Specialist

What is hyperlipidemia?

Hyperlipidemia is a medical term that means you have too much fat in your blood. The fat may be:

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy fat that serves as a building block for cell membranes. Your liver manufactures all the cholesterol your body needs. Certain foods, like those high in saturated and trans fat, increase your body’s production of cholesterol. Too much cholesterol in your blood leads to the development of plaque in your blood vessels and increases your risk of heart disease, as well as having a heart attack or stroke.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are your body’s storage form of fat. They come from high-fat foods, such as oil and butter. If you eat more calories than your body burns, those excess calories are turned into triglycerides. Like your cholesterol levels, high triglycerides increase your risk of heart disease.

The team at Optimal Performance Medicine checks your blood lipid levels to assess your health risk. The good news is, you can change the fat levels in your blood and improve your health.

What are the types of cholesterol?

When talking about cholesterol, it’s important to understand the different types, because not all cholesterol is bad.

The types of cholesterol include:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL)

LDL is considered the bad cholesterol because it’s the fat that sticks to your blood vessel walls. You want low LDL numbers.

HDL is considered the good cholesterol because it carries bad fats out of your bloodstream and to the liver for processing. You want high HDL numbers.

How can I improve my hyperlipidemia?

The team at Optimal Performance Medicine creates a personalized treatment plan to help you improve your hyperlipidemia. Your treatment may include:

• Diet modification
• Lifestyle changes
• Addition of regular exercise

Diet and exercise are key when it comes to improving your blood lipid levels. The team at Optimal Performance Medicine works closely with you to develop a plan that works for you and your health.

If you’re unable to improve your hyperlipidemia with lifestyle changes, medications are necessary. However, the team at Optimal Performance Medicine is best known for taking patients off medicine, not putting them on medication.

For management of your hyperlipidemia, call Optimal Performance Medicine today or request an appointment online.