What is cholesterol?

9 April 2021

The liver makes cholesterol, a natural fatty substance that the body needs. When we consume animal source foods, we add additional cholesterol to our body.

It is classified in:

Good cholesterol or HDL cholesterol: its purpose is to remove cholesterol from the arteries and return it to the liver.
Bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol: if there is a large amount of cholesterol in the blood, the excess sticks and forms plaques in the arteries, generating a progressive narrowing that over time can lead to atherosclerosis.

Signs and symptoms Cholesterol

What are the normal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides?

Total cholesterol: between 200 and 240 mg/dl
LDL cholesterol: between 100 and 160 mg/dl
HDL cholesterol: more than 35 mg/dl in men and 40 mg/dl in women

Risks

Diseases such as diabetes and obesity are determining factors in cholesterol levels, as are leading a sedentary life and consuming alcohol in excess. Age, sex, and family history also play a role.

Prevention

Adopting healthy habits will help you control your cholesterol level:

Follow a low calories, low-fat, and low salt diet.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Exercise regularly.

In the event that despite making changes in your lifestyle, cholesterol levels do not decrease enough, your Saludora doctor will indicate a drug treatment to achieve it.

Diagnosis and treatment Cholesterol

An elevated cholesterol level has no signs or symptoms, so it is necessary to have a total cholesterol test and assess the risk of developing heart disease. This blood test considers and measures the following types of fat:

Total cholesterol
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL)
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL)
Triglycerides

Patients who have had heart attacks or strokes require regular cholesterol testing to monitor the effectiveness of their treatment.

At the Cardiovascular Center we offer you a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services to take care of you through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary care model. Come to us, we want to hear your heart.

Related centers and departments Cholesterol

Cardiovascular Center
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

sociedad española de cardiología
fundación mexicana del corazón
mayoclinic.org
fundaciondelcorazon.com
texasheart.org
medigraphic.org
Ruiz LJC, Letamendi VJA, Calderón LRA. Prevalencia de dislipidemias en pacientes obesos. MediSan. 2020;24(02):211-222.
Cansino-Vega RA. Estatinas y sus efectos sistémicos más allá del control del colesterol. Rev Med MD. 2009;1(1):.
Armas RNB, de la Noval GR, Dueñas HA, et al. Estimación del riesgo cardiovascular mediante tablas de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Área de salud “Héroes del Moncada”. Rev Cubana Cardiol Cir Cardiovasc. 2014;20(1):.

How can we help you?

The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the Saludora Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.

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Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer-
BioNTech

Pfizer-BioNTech

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 95% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

No Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 16 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 14 days of having the complete scheme (after the administration of the 2nd dose), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

Moderna

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 94.5% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 18 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes in the arm in which you received the injection.

Janssen/
Johnson
& Johnson

Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 72.0% in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
85% in the prevention of severe COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives./strong>

How many doses are needed?
Only one dose in needed.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 28 days of having the complete scheme (the last dose applied), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from 85% serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

AstraZeneca
and
Oxford
University

AstraZeneca and Oxford University

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 82% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 56 days apart (or up to 84 days apart, if necessary).

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and fever, which were mild to moderate in intensity and disappeared within 48 hours of vaccination.

Sputnik V

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 92% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

What is cholesterol?

Signs and symptoms Cholesterol

Diagnosis and treatment Cholesterol

Related centers and departments Cholesterol

Fuentes:

Index

Specialist in Cholesterol