High cholesterol in women

Cholesterol in women varies according to their hormonal rate and therefore, it is more common for women to have the highest cholesterol rate during pregnancy and menopause, it is important to eat properly, especially in these phases, in order to avoid complications and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.

High cholesterol usually does not cause symptoms and its diagnosis is made through a blood test that evaluates total cholesterol and its fractions (LDL, HDL and VLDL), as well as triglycerides. It is important to perform this test at most every 5 years, especially after the age of 30, or annually if there are risk factors for high cholesterol, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or during pregnancy, for example.

Cholesterol in pregnancy

Cholesterol starts to increase naturally during pregnancy from 16 weeks of gestation, reaching twice the value that the woman had before becoming pregnant. This is a normal change and many doctors are not too concerned about this increase, because it tends to return to normal after the baby is born.

But if the woman already had high cholesterol before becoming pregnant or if she is very overweight and also has high blood pressure, the doctor may be suspicious and indicate that the pregnant woman be very careful with her diet to avoid complications during pregnancy and also to prevent the woman from keeping high cholesterol after giving birth.

Here's what to do to control cholesterol in pregnancy.

Cholesterol in menopause

Cholesterol also tends to increase during menopause, which is a normal and expected change. However, as at any stage, very high cholesterol levels in menopause must be treated, as they increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack.

The lower level of cholesterol in women is due to the presence of estrogen in the bloodstream, and because estrogen decreases dramatically after age 50, it is at this time that cholesterol tends to increase in women.

The treatment in this case can be done through hormone replacement therapy for 6 months. If cholesterol levels do not return to normal, the woman should be referred to a cardiologist or endocrinologist to begin specific therapy that may include the use of medications.

Causes of high cholesterol in women

The main cause of increased cholesterol in women is hormonal changes that occur mainly during pregnancy and menopause, but in addition the use of the contraceptive pill, corticosteroids and anabolic steroids also contribute to high cholesterol. Other factors that also increase cholesterol in women are:

Hereditary factor; Hypothyroidism; Uncontrolled diabetes; Obesity; Renal failure; Alcoholism and Sedentary lifestyle.

When the woman has any of these situations, she is at a greater risk of suffering cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack or stroke, so the treatment to lower cholesterol should be started early before the age of 50 or as soon as it is discovered that the cholesterol is altered.

Initially, treatment consists of a change in eating habits associated with physical activity. If rates are still high after 3 months of lifestyle change, it is recommended to start specific medication to reduce cholesterol.

How to treat

Treatment for cholesterol in women can be done with:

Cholesterol diet; Practice of physical activity; Use of medications.

It is recommended to take medication, usually when LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) is above 130 mg / dL, and when it is not controlled only with dietary changes and physical activity. Treatment for high cholesterol in pregnancy can be done with an appropriate diet and the only medication that can be used at this stage is cholestyramine.

Watch the following video and learn more about what to do to lower cholesterol:

Women with high cholesterol should be very cautious when using the birth control pill, especially those based on progesterone, as it raises cholesterol even further, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Cholesterol reference values

The normal limit values for cholesterol for any adult are:

Type of cholesterol	Adults over 20 years
Total cholesterol	less than 190 mg / dl
HDL cholesterol (good)	greater than 40 mg / dl
LDL cholesterol (bad)	less than 130 mg / dl - low cardiovascular risk * less than 100 mg / dl - intermediate cardiovascular risk * less than 70 mg / dl - high cardiovascular risk * less than 50 mg / dl - very high cardiovascular risk *
Non-HDL cholesterol (sum of LDL, VLDL and IDL)	less than 160 mg / dl - low cardiovascular risk * less than 130 mg / dl - intermediate cardiovascular risk * less than 100 mg / dl - high cardiovascular risk * less than 80 mg / dl - very high cardiovascular risk *
Triglycerides	less than 150 mg / dl - fasting less than 175 mg / dl - no fasting