What causes hyperlipidemia

Primary hyperlipidemia
The condition is due to inheritance of multiple genes that predispose to high cholesterol. In addition, the condition is often the lifestyle related. Cholesterol levels are moderately elevated and are usually around 6-8 mmol / L. The pattern of inheritance is such that hyperlipidemia occur scattered in the family. This means that not everyone in the family inherits the facility for the disease.

Familial hypercholesterolemia
This is called a dominant hereditary disease. This means that it is likely to inherit the condition, and the risk can be calculated as follows:

• If one parent has a healthy and a diseased gene (called heterozygous) and the other parent is healthy, there are a 50% chance that a child inherits the disease.
• If one parent has two diseased genes (called homozygous) and the other parent is healthy, all kids get sick.
• If both parents have a diseased gene, there are a 75% chance that a child inherits the disease.
• If both parents have two diseased genes, all kids get sick (and all will be homozygous)

The disease is characterized by the formation of grease balls in the eye area and along the tendons. The disease affects 1 in 400, but accounts for 5% of all cases of myocardial infarction. These individuals are therefore, at high risk for vascular disease of the heart. In the heterozygote, the complete cholesterol often be between 8 and 12 mmol / L. In homozygous, the total cholesterol eventually be above 20 mmol / L.

Familial combined hyperlipidemia.
The condition found in 1 of 50-100. It provides the same risk of disease in the heart as familial hypercholesterolemia. Total cholesterol is usually of 7-9 mmol / L, and triglycerides are above two mmol / L.