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Understanding Cholesterol Levels

Understanding Cholesterol Levels

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Your cholesterol numbers show how much cholesterol is circulating in your blood. Your HDL (good cholesterol) is the one number you want to be high (ideally above 60). Your LDL (bad cholesterol) should be below 100. Your total should be below 200. Talk with your provider about what your results mean for you and how to manage your cholesterol.

Measuring Cholesterol Levels

Your provider checks your cholesterol levels through a blood test called a lipid panel. Your provider will draw blood from a vein in your arm and send the blood to a lab for analysis. Be sure to closely follow your provider’s instructions on how to prepare for the test. You’ll likely need to fast for 12 hours beforehand. This means avoiding all foods and drinks except water.

When your results come in, your provider will let you know. You may also be able to access your results through your electronic medical record.

Your lipid panel gives you the following numbers:

  • Total cholesterol: This is the total amount of cholesterol that’s circulating in your blood. Here’s the formula for calculating it: HDL + LDL + 20% triglycerides = total cholesterol.
  • HDL level: HDL is high-density lipoprotein. This is the “good” cholesterol that moves extra cholesterol from your bloodstream to your liver. Your liver then gets rid of it from your body. When you see HDL, think of “h” for help. HDLs help your arteries clear out the cholesterol your body doesn’t need. It’s the one number in your lipid panel that you want to be high.
  • LDL level: LDL is low-density lipoprotein. This is the “bad” cholesterol that contributes to plaque buildup in your arteries. You need some LDLs because they carry cholesterol to your body’s cells. But having too many can cause problems.
  • VLDL level: VLDL is a very low-density lipoprotein. It’s another “bad” form that contributes to plaque buildup. VLDLs carry a type of fat (triglycerides) in your blood. If you have too many VLDLs, the extra fat can build up in your arteries.
  • Triglycerides: This is a type of fat. You need some triglycerides. But high levels (hypertriglyceridemia) can put you at risk for atherosclerosis and other diseases.
  • Non-HDL cholesterol: This is all the cholesterol in your blood that isn’t HDL. The formula for calculating this number is simple: Total cholesterol – HDL = Non-HDL cholesterol
  • The ratio between total cholesterol and HDL: This is your total cholesterol divided by your HDL. In general, you want your number to be below five. Your results may show a chart with more details and desirable levels. 

Meaning Behind Cholesterol Levels and the Numbers

Healthcare providers measure cholesterol levels as milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood. The abbreviation is mg/dL. Providers use these same units to measure your triglycerides.

High cholesterol generally means your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL or higher. But providers use additional categories like borderline high and near-optimal to break down your results. If your numbers are close to normal levels, they may be easier to manage through lifestyle and dietary changes.

Why Are Cholesterol Numbers Important

Your cholesterol numbers are important because they help you know your risk for heart disease. Cholesterol is a type of lipid that helps your body perform many important functions. But too much cholesterol in your blood is bad for you. It can enter your artery wall, damage its integrity and lead to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque.

How To Lower Cholesterol Level?

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You may feel upset to learn you have high cholesterol. But now that you know about it, you can take action to lower your numbers. Follow your provider’s guidance on how to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Some general tips include:

  • Add more exercise to your daily routine.
  • Avoid smoking and all tobacco products.
  • Keep a weight that’s healthy for you.

Learn how food impacts your cholesterol, and start with small changes to your diet.

  • Manage high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
  • Learn new strategies for dealing with stress.
  • Take your medications as prescribed.

Most of all, don’t blame yourself. High cholesterol is a common condition that can be hard to control through lifestyle choices alone. And many factors beyond our control limit the choices we can make.

Medications that can be used to lower cholesterol:

Rosuvastatin 

Fenofibrate

Gemfibrozil 

These medications work by decreasing hepatic triglyceride synthesis and reducing circulating free fatty acids. As a result with proper lifestyle, helps with cholesterol levels. 

What Is The Main Cause Of High Triglycerides

What Is The Main Cause Of High Triglycerides?

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The most common causes of high triglycerides relate to diet and metabolism. Also, excess body weight and a high-fat, high-carb diet, several health conditions may contribute. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with high triglycerides, you may be looking for ways to make your diet and exercise routines healthier, but some other culprits should also be on your radar.

What Are High Triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a kind of fat that is found in the blood. Cholesterol is another kind. Stored in fat cells for later use, triglycerides are a major energy source. Normal amounts are important for good health. Eating more fat than the body burns can lead to high triglyceride levels. 

High triglyceride levels may result in the hardening of the arteries, which increases the risks of heart attack, stroke, and heart disease. They can be part of metabolic syndrome, which also includes too much fat around the waist, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Sometimes high triglyceride levels mean poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, liver or kidney disease, low thyroid hormone levels, or rare genetic conditions.

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What Are the Causes and Symptoms of High Triglycerides?

Causes of High Triglycerides may include:

  • Obesity
  • Eating too much unhealthy food
  • Genetics

Certain illnesses include:

Some drugs such as:

Drinking a lot of alcohol can also increase the levels of triglycerides. 

Most people with High Triglycerides have no symptoms. Very high levels of Triglycerides can cause small fat deposits under the skin and painful inflammation of the pancreas called pancreatitis. 

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Exercise

Managing High Triglycerides

Dos 

  • Exercise regularly.
  • Eat fish.
  • Stop smoking.
  • Eat more fruits and vegetables and high-fiber foods. 
  • Lose weight by changing your diet and doing aerobic exercise, such as jogging, walking, bicycling, or swimming. Exercise at least 30 minutes daily.

Don’ts 

  • Don’t drink more than two alcoholic drinks each day.
  • Don’t forget to treat other medical conditions such as diabetes and an underactive thyroid.
  • Don’t change your diet or medicines without your doctor’s approval.

How Are High Triglycerides Treated?

High triglycerides, like high cholesterol, are a potentially serious health problem. But, with lifestyle changes and, if necessary, medications, most people will be able to successfully manage their condition and reduce their cardiovascular disease risk.

If diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes are not enough to lower your triglycerides or your doctor feels your numbers are too high to address the problem with lifestyle interventions alone, they may recommend medication. 

  • Gemfibrozil – this medication is in a class of lipid-regulating medications called fibrates. The drug works by reducing the production of triglycerides in the liver. As a result, it lowers your levels of triglycerides. 
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Gemfibrozil

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Gemfibrozil is a lipid-lowering agent. It is used for:

  • Lowering high levels of fats in the blood such as triglycerides and cholesterol. It is used when diet and lifestyle changes such as an exercised have not reduced the lipids enough.
  • Prevention of cardiovascular events like a heart attack or angina pectoris among patients with high levels of cholesterol. It is also used among patients with a high risk of heart disease who cannot take statin medicines.

Gemfibrozil is a type of medicine known as fibrates. It helps lower the levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides in people with pancreatic and cardiovascular disease. It works by:

  • Increasing the breakdown of triglycerides present in the body.
  • Decreasing the production of triglycerides in the liver.
  • Decreasing the production of LDL cholesterol “bad fats” by the liver. This causes the liver to take up excess LDL in the blood at the same time increasing the HDL “good fats” levels.
  • Reducing the risk of excess fats being deposited in the blood vessels of the heart also known as atherosclerosis.

Why Buy Gemfibrozil?

Gemfibrozil is an effective lipid-lowering agent. It can significantly lower the LDL and triglycerides in the blood as it raises the HDL. It is more effective than non-statin cholesterol-lowering drugs with fewer side effects. Gemfibrozil is available as generic and brand name versions.

How to Take Gemfibrozil?

Gemfibrozil comes in a tablet form that you need to take orally. Take it exactly as prescribed by your physician. The typical dose is 600 mg twice a day, 30 minutes before taking your meal. Take it at around the same time every day. Do not take more or less than what is prescribed. Do not stop taking Gemfibrozil without telling your doctor.

Things to Remember

  • It is important that you do regular exercise and eats a healthy diet while taking this medicine.
  • Avoid drinking excess alcohol because this may increase the risk of side effects on the muscle and liver problems. If you experience any muscle pain, spasm, tenderness or weakness contact your doctor right away.
  • Patients who are 70 years of age and above, with a decrease in kidney function and muscular disorder must use Gemfibrozil with care.
  • Do not use Gemfibrozil if you have:
    • Are pregnant or breastfeeding
    • Are allergic to any of its ingredients
    • With a decrease liver function
    • With a severely decreased kidney function
  • Gemfibrozil can interact with statins. It may interact with blood thinners, oral diabetes medication and insulin. Inform your doctor if you are taking any other medications.
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Medication That Treats High Cholesterol and Triglycerides Levels

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Cholesterol is a chemical compound (fatty substance) known as a lipid. It plays an important role. The body requires it as a building block for cell membranes and for hormones like testosterone and estrogen. The liver produces 80% of the cholesterol required by the body. Rest comes from our diet. All the cholesterol is stored in the liver and used as required by the body. When the level of cholesterol is high, extra cholesterol deposits along the inside walls of arteries. This narrows the arteries. Cholesterol is of different types.

  1. (LDL) Low-density lipoproteins – bad cholesterol.
  2. (HDL) High-density lipoproteins – Good cholesterol.
  3. (VLDL) very low-density lipoprotein.
  4. Triglycerides.

LDL, VLDL, and Triglycerides are harmful and increase the risk of heart disease. Gemfibrozil along with proper diet help lower fats (triglycerides). It also helps to increase good cholesterol. It is approved by FDA in September 1993.

How do Gemfibrozil works?

Gemfibrozil belongs to the class of drugs known as fibrates. It is used to treat high cholesterol and triglycerides levels in people. The exact mechanism is unknown. Multiple mechanisms take place. Gemfibrozil works in following way;

  1. Increase the breakdown of triglycerides already present in the body.
  2. Decrease the production of triglycerides by the liver to lower their levels.
  3. Decrease the production of LDL & VLDL cholesterol by the liver.
  4. Increase the levels of HDL – Good cholesterol.

Overall it the level of good fats and decrease level of bad fats in the blood.

How to take Gemfibrozil?

Gemfibrozil is available in the form of capsules of 300 mg and 600 mg.

Adult dosage.

General dose– 600 mg orally two times a day.

Children–   Safety and efficacy in a patient younger than 18 years are unknown.

Maximum dose – 900 mg to 1600 mg in a day.

Comments –

You should take the capsule 30 minutes before the morning and evening meals. Your Doctor may change the dose based on medical condition and response to the treatment. Take it at around same time each day.

What are the uses of Gemfibrozil?

  1. Helps to reduce cholesterol and the triglycerides (fatty acids) in the blood.
  2. Treats very high cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people with pancreas disease.
  3. Raises the level of good cholesterol in the body (HDL).
  4. Decrease the production of fat by the liver.
  5. The drug works well in addition to proper diet and exercise.
  6. Acts as primary prevention of heart attack.

What are the Precautions in taking Gemfibrozil?

It is important to take precaution under certain conditions while taking Gemfibrozil. Inform your Doctor if you are/have.

  • Allergic to Gemfibrozil or other ingredients in it.
  • Any other allergies.
  • Medical history of liver disease.
  • Gallbladder disease.
  • Kidney disease.
  • Dental or any other surgery.
  • Pregnant.
  • Breastfeeding.
  • Taking Pradin to treat type 2 diabetes.
  • Consume the drug 30 minutes before breakfast and dinner.
  • Use the drug regularly to get the most benefit.
  • The drug works better along with proper diet and exercise.
  • It controls high triglyceride and low HDL but does not cure them. Continue to take the capsule.
  • Avoid consuming food high in fat or cholesterol otherwise, the medicine will not be much effective.
  • Don’t use in combination with drugs of statin family.

Cost of Gemfibrozil (Generic and Brand)

A Generic drug is chemically equivalent, lower cost version of a branded name drug. The cost is about 30 – 80% less. Generic drug makers don’t include investments in the development of the drug and not in marketing. So we can sell the cheap drug to our customers.

Cost of Generic Gemfibrozi

  • 60 capsules of 300mg costs $ 29, per unit cost is $ 0.48.
  • 60 capsules of 600mg caste $ 0.95, per unit cost is $ 57.

Cost of Brand Lopid

  • 60 capsules of 600 mg cost $ 393.34, per unit cost is $ 6.56.