In order to decrease the values of genetic cholesterol one should consume foods rich in fiber, such as vegetables or fruits, with daily exercise for at least 30 minutes, and take the medications indicated by the doctor every day.
These recommendations should be maintained throughout life, to avoid the development of serious heart problems, such as a heart attack or stroke, which can even appear in childhood or adolescence, in case cholesterol is not controlled.
Generally, high cholesterol is acquired throughout life, due to unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle, however, familial hypercholesterolemia, popularly known as familial high cholesterol, is a hereditary disease that has no cure and therefore, the person has high cholesterol since birth, due to a change in the gene that leads to liver malfunction, which is not able to remove bad cholesterol from the blood.
Signs of genetic high cholesterol
Some signs that may indicate that the person has inherited high cholesterol include:
- Total cholesterol greater than 310 mg / dL or LDL cholesterol greater than 190 mg / dL (bad cholesterol) in a blood test; History of a first or second degree relative with heart disease before the age of 55; Fat nodules deposited in the tendons, especially in the ankles and fingers |; Changes in the eyes, which includes a whitish opaque arc in the eye; Fatty pellets in the skin, mainly in the eyelids, known as xanthelasma.
To confirm the diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia, it is necessary to go to the doctor to do a blood test and check the values of total cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Find out what are the reference values for cholesterol.
How the treatment is done
Although hereditary cholesterol has no cure, the treatment indicated by the doctor must be followed to maintain the normal total cholesterol amount, which must be less than 190 mg / dL and / or LDL (bad cholesterol) below 130 mg / dL, to avoid the chance of developing heart disease early. Thus, one must:
- Consume fiber-rich foods such as vegetables and fruits on a daily basis because they absorb fat. Meet other foods rich in fiber; Avoid canned, sausages, fried foods, sweets and snacks, as they have a lot of saturated and trans fat , which aggravate the disease; Practice physical exercise, such as running or swimming, every day for at least 30 minutes; No smoke and avoid smoke.
In addition, treatment may also include the use of medications indicated by the cardiologist, such as simvastatin, rosuvastatin or atorvastatin, for example, which must be taken daily to prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease.
How to Lower Child Genetic Cholesterol
If the diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia is made in childhood, the child must start a low-fat diet from the age of 2 to control the disease and, in some cases, it may be necessary to supplement phytosterols of around 2g, which are constituents plants, which help lower blood cholesterol.
In addition, in most cases, it is also necessary to take cholesterol-lowering drugs, however, this pharmacological treatment is only recommended from the age of 8, and must be maintained throughout life. To find out what your child can eat, see a cholesterol-lowering diet.
To find out what foods to avoid, watch the video:
