You can control your risk for heart disease. More than 102 million adults in the United States suffered from hyperlipidemia, or high cholesterol, in 2010. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that more than 35 million of these Americans have levels high enough to put them at significant risk for cardiovascular disease. A diet high in cholesterol is a significant source of hyperlipidemia.
Anatomy
Your body converts the fat and dietary cholesterol consumed with your food into a form of cholesterol it can use. Cholesterol is a naturally occurring and necessary component for many physiological processes such as manufacturing bile acids, producing certain hormones, metabolizing vitamins and providing structure for every cell membrane in your body. Your bloodstream transports cholesterol from your gut to the awaiting cells. Cholesterol is a lipid, which is a fat-like substance. Hyperlipidemia describes a situation where there are too many lipids in your bloodstream.
Levels
Hyperlipidemia describes a medical condition where there are high levels of total cholesterol; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also called LDL; or triglycerides in the bloodstream. LDL, which transports cholesterol from your gut to the cells, should measure less than 100 mg/dL, short for milligrams per deciliter. A healthy level of triglycerides, which are a type of fat, measures less than 150 mg/dL. Your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL.
Risks
Diets high in cholesterol and fat result in hyperlipidemia. Cholesterol and other fatty substances build up in your bloodstream and accumulate inside the walls of your blood vessels, resulting in atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis injures blood vessels and prevents blood from flowing efficiently to all of your vital organs, including your heart, brain and kidneys. A high-cholesterol diet leads to hyperlipidemia, potentially resulting in heart disease. Every 1 percent drop in your cholesterol reduces your risk for heart disease by 2 percent, according to the Cleveland Clinic. You can reduce this risk with a low-cholesterol diet.
Dietary Cholesterol
Animals produce cholesterol in their livers. Plants do not produce cholesterol. Animal products, such as meat, eggs, butter and milk, contain cholesterol. Foods from plant sources, such as fruits and vegetables, do not contribute cholesterol to your diet, unless you add products containing dietary cholesterol, such as cream or butter. The average American male consumes about 337 mg of dietary cholesterol each day, according to the American Heart Association, which recommends a healthy person consume no more than 300 mg per day. The typical hard-boiled egg contains more than 200 mg of cholesterol, and an English muffin breakfast sandwich from a fast food restaurant,made with eggs, cheese and Canadian bacon, provides about 230 mg. A cup of cooked chicken giblets has more than 600 mg of cholesterol. A steady diet of foods high in cholesterol raises your risk for heart disease.
