High Cholesterol Isn't Just for the Overweight! Your Gut Microbiome Determines Your Vascular Health
01丨Four Numbers That Determine Your Future
Whether you'll have a heart attack in the next 10 years
Blood lipids are not a single indicator, but are composed of these four parts:
TC Total Cholesterol - a comprehensive indicator of blood lipids
TG Triglycerides - the culprit behind high blood lipids
LDL-C Low-Density Lipoprotein - the "bad transporter," dumping fat onto the blood vessel walls
HDL-C High-Density Lipoprotein - the "good transporter," carrying fat back to the liver to be burned off
The 2020 edition of the "Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Adult Dyslipidemia" points out:
LDL-C ≥4.1 mmol/L, 10-year ASCVD risk ↑3 times
TG ≥2.3 mmol/L, acute pancreatitis risk ↑5 times
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02丨Seven Major Hazards of High Cholesterol
From feeling nothing to the ICU, just one night of staying up late
Atherosclerosis - plaques like "scale" block the lumen, heart attack/cerebral infarction can occur at any time
Acute Pancreatitis - TG >5.6 mmol/L, the pancreas is "digested" by itself
Fatty Liver - the liver is wrapped in fat, liver function declines
Hypertension - blood vessels harden, blood pressure "rises with the tide"
Diabetes - lipotoxicity and insulin resistance "collude"
Gout - high TG inhibits uric acid excretion
Male Dysfunction - the microvessels of the penis are the "peripherals" that are blocked earliest
03丨Five "Hidden Signals" of High Cholesterol
If you have two or more, it is recommended to have a fasting blood lipid test
① "Arcus senilis" (corneal arcus) appears in the whites of the eyes
② Xanthomas on the back of the hands and eyelids
③ Feeling tired and head swelling 2 hours after meals
④ Tinnitus and forgetfulness at the age of 30
⑤ Waist circumference increased by more than 5 cm in the past year
04丨Prevention and Control
Medication control + gut tactics
① Medications: statins, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors
② Lifestyle:
Diet: Mediterranean/DASH diet, daily dietary fiber ≥25 g
Exercise: 150 min of moderate intensity per week (brisk walking, swimming)
Quit smoking and alcohol: smoking once, HDL-C decreases by 10%; alcohol causes TG to skyrocket
③ The neglected third battlefield - gut microbiota ( Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis F1-7 , Lactiplantibacillus plantarum F3-2)