Cholesterol Problems, Should You Take Medication?

In this day and age, cholesterol is no longer a foreign term in society. Many patients who come to the doctor say "my cholesterol is high" by already bringing the results of laboratory tests, whether it's from an independent examination, routine check-ups at the company's workplace, or because there are various complaints they feel. Actually, how do we deal with this cholesterol problem properly?

First, this disease is actually best described as a blood lipid disorder (dyslipidemia: dys-lipid-emia). “Dis” means disorder, “lipid” means fat, and “emia” means blood. Why is it called that? Because the human body actually contains many types of fat components. Not all of them have problems all the time. Sometimes only a few components are abnormal levels in the blood. Disorders of fat in the blood are of various types. For example, there are patients whose LDL cholesterol levels are high, but other patients only have high triglycerides. Some also have mixed disorders, such as both high LDL and triglycerides. It could also be that both levels are normal/high, but the HDL cholesterol is too low. That's not good either. Even today, more and more other components of blood lipids can be examined, such as apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein (a). So, the metabolism of blood fats in the human body is complex, so diagnosis and treatment is not as easy as many people think. Therefore, you need to consult a doctor to find out if you suffer from dyslipidemia and which type of disorder it belongs to.

Second, keep in mind that blood lipid disorders often do not cause any symptoms. Typical signs of this disease are rarely obtained from a person's physical examination. As a result, many people do not realize that they suffer from dyslipidemia, then suddenly experience complications such as coronary heart disease (blockage of the heart arteries) or ischemic stroke (blockage of blood vessels in the brain). So, the most appropriate step to detect dyslipidemia is through blood tests in the laboratory. If you are at risk of suffering from blood lipid disorders (such as age > 40 years, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, or a family history of dyslipidemia), then you need to get yourself checked. Because there are many types of examinations and not all of them are always affordable, you should first consult with your doctor to be directed to the right test according to your condition.

Third, the treatment of dyslipidemia depends on the type of blood lipid disorder. Doctors can prescribe if needed, but not all cases of dyslipidemia have the answer by taking medication. Diet and exercise are very important in the management of dyslipidemia. Stopping unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and drinking alcohol is equally important. In addition, overcoming other related diseases (such as diabetes and thyroid) can also improve blood lipid disorders. When you are finally recommended to get a special drug for dyslipidemia, then you need to understand the consideration of the benefits and risks after discussing with your doctor. The selection of drugs is of course based on the principle of obtaining health benefits that are greater than the risk of side effects that may arise. The benefits of this dyslipidemia drug need to be realized, namely to prevent complications (such as heart, brain, pancreatic disease) and not to treat symptoms such as aches, dizziness, and so on. One of the most scientifically proven dyslipidemia drugs is the statin class. There are 4 groups of patients who most clearly benefit from this drug, namely reducing the risk of coronary heart disease or ischemic stroke due to atherosclerosis (buildup of fat in the blood vessels). Are you one of them? Here is a simple abbreviation “CHOLESTEROL” to remember these 4 groups of patients.

KO: Cardiovascular. If you have ever suffered from cardiovascular disease (heart and blood vessels) due to atherosclerosis, then statin drugs are very useful for preventing heart attacks or recurrent strokes that are at risk of getting worse and even death.

LE: LDL level 190 mg/dL and above. If you have never had cardiovascular disease but your LDL cholesterol level is already very high 190 mg/dL, then you can also benefit from this statin class of drugs.

STE: Screening for diabetes. If you are 40-75 years old and through screening you get a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar), then you are very at risk for complications from cardiovascular disease due to atherosclerosis. Statin drugs are recommended because they can prevent these complications.

ROL: Further risk. If you do not belong to the three groups of patients above, but based on a follow-up risk assessment from your doctor it turns out that you are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, then you can also be advised to start taking statins.

Please discuss with your doctor about the type and dosage of drugs, treatment targets, and side effects so that the therapy carried out can provide optimal benefits for your health.