The medical term for high blood cholesterol and triglycerides is lipid disorder. Such a disorder occurs when you have too many fatty substances in your blood. These substances include cholesterol and triglycerides.
Fatty diets that are high in saturated fats (found mainly in red meat, egg yolks, and high-fat dairy products) and trans fatty acids (found in commercial processed food products)
Lack of exercise
Smoking (which reducess HDL "good" cholesterol)
Lipid disorders are more common in men than in women.
Signs and tests
See Coronary risk profile for information on when to be tested.
LDL test (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. It's also sometimes called "bad" cholesterol. Lipoproteins are made of fat and protein. They carry cholesterol, triglycerides, and other fats, called lipids, in the blood to various parts of the body. This a...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 05/02/2009
HDL test (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. It's also sometimes called "good" cholesterol. Lipoproteins are made of fat and protein. They carry cholesterol, triglycerides, and other fats, called lipids, in the blood to various parts of the body. This...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 05/02/2009
VLDL test (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
VLDL stands for very low density lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are substances made of cholesterol, triglycerides, and proteins. They move cholesterol, triglycerides, and other lipids to different parts of the body. There are three major types of lipop...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 05/02/2009
Cholesterol test (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A total cholesterol test is a rough measure of all the cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. Cholesterol is a soft, wax-like substance found in all parts of the body. Your body needs a little bit of cholesterol to work properly. But too muc...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 05/02/2009
Familial hypercholesterolemia (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Familial hypercholesterolemia is a condition passed down through families in which a person has high levels of "bad" cholesterol (low density lipoprotein, or LDL) beginning at birth. The condition can cause heart attacks at an early age. See also:...Reviewer: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Greg Juhn, MTPW, David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (1/23/2008).Date: 09/12/2008
Familial combined hyperlipidemia (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Familial combined hyperlipidemia is a disorder of high cholesterol and high blood triglycerides that is passed down through families.Reviewer: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 01/23/2008
Fat free diet and children (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Children over age of 2 can eat low-fat and nonfat foods. Fruits and vegetables are healthy snack foods. Children should be taught healthy eating habits early, so they may continue them throughout life.Reviewer: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 05/02/2009
Margarine vs. butter (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Is margarine healthier than butter? Neither is ideal, because butter is loaded with saturated fat, and almost all margarines have some saturated fat and trans fatty acids. However, if you must use one or the other, margarine may be better than but...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 05/03/2009
Tips for losing weight (8 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
To successfully lose weight, you must carry out a plan that balances the calories you eat every day with your activity and exercise. Ideally, dieting should be done by eating a nutritionally balanced, low-calorie diet and increasing physical activ...Reviewer: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Date: 10/18/2009