Does a high total cholesterol level equate to hyperlipidemia?
Disease description:
Recently, a friend was found to have elevated total cholesterol. In such cases, is it accurate to say that total cholesterol is high? Doctor, does elevated total cholesterol equate to hyperlipidemia?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Shen Yonghua
Elevated total cholesterol alone is generally not classified as hyperlipidemia. However, if a patient exhibits elevated cholesterol along with increased lipoprotein and lipoprotein A levels, this falls within the scope of hyperlipidemia. Chronic hyperlipidemia promotes the development of atherosclerosis and increases the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases—thus warranting clinical attention. For patients with elevated total cholesterol, oral pravastatin or similar statins is recommended. If statins are contraindicated, Xuezhikang (a traditional Chinese medicine formulation) may be used orally to lower total cholesterol.
