Debunking Five Common Misconceptions about Blood Lipids: A Guide to Scientific Understanding and Health Management

Five Common Misconceptions about Blood Lipids

High blood lipids and abnormal cholesterol are often attributed to a sedentary lifestyle.

Many people simply view high blood lipids and abnormal cholesterol as "diseases of affluence" caused by a sedentary lifestyle. While these conditions are related to diet and exercise, they cannot be solved simply by restricting food intake and increasing exercise. Age, gender, and a family history of coronary heart disease are also significant risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, primarily coronary heart disease, and these factors are difficult to change. Furthermore, having hypertension, diabetes, or even smoking are also important factors leading to elevated blood lipids and abnormal cholesterol. Many underweight individuals and strict vegetarians believe they will never have high blood lipids or abnormal cholesterol; however, if they have any of the aforementioned risk factors, they are still susceptible to high blood lipid symptoms.

"High blood lipids mean high triglycerides, which means high blood viscosity and slow blood flow."

Blood lipids are the general term for lipids contained in the blood, mainly including cholesterol and triglycerides. The most serious danger is caused by abnormal cholesterol levels, especially high levels of LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein). If there is too much LDL in the blood, it will deposit on the arterial walls, forming atherosclerotic plaques. Narrowing or rupture of blood vessels with plaques directly leads to acute myocardial infarction, stroke, or even sudden death. Therefore, LDL cholesterol, not triglycerides, is currently the most important indicator for blood lipid testing.

The absence of an "arrow" on a medical examination report means everything is normal.

Many people nowadays pay close attention to cholesterol levels in their medical examination results, but few discover they have abnormal cholesterol levels because the report doesn't show an "arrow." In fact, the reference values ​​on general physical examination reports are for the entire population. However, for patients with pre-existing conditions such as coronary heart disease or diabetes, or those who have experienced a myocardial infarction or stroke, the therapeutic and target values ​​for blood lipids differ from the normal values ​​shown on the report for the general population. Their target blood lipid values ​​should be more stringent, lower than the reference values ​​on the report; specifically, "bad" cholesterol (LDL-C) should be below 80 mg/dL or 2.1 mmol/L. For key populations, namely men over 40 years of age, postmenopausal women, obese individuals, those with xanthomas, those with dyslipidemia, and those with a family history of cardiovascular disease, cholesterol levels should not be solely based on the "not higher than 3 mmol/L" indicator on the report.

"Many people consider abnormal cholesterol a chronic problem, like high blood pressure or diabetes, which won't cause major health problems in the short term."

In reality, cardiovascular diseases, primarily coronary heart disease, are often inseparable from atherosclerosis, characterized by continuous inflammation, chronic progression, and acute mutations. "Bad" cholesterol (LDL-C) slowly deposits on the inner walls of arteries, forming atherosclerotic plaques that narrow and block blood vessels. These plaques are like ticking time bombs, capable of rupturing at any moment, leading to acute myocardial infarction or stroke. If not controlled early, even young patients can suffer the consequences of plaque rupture.

"Health supplements can soften blood vessels and reduce blood viscosity, with no side effects."

While some health supplements used in the public have unclear cholesterol-lowering effects, and may have some efficacy as an adjunct treatment for hyperlipidemia, there is currently a lack of clear clinical research evidence. Furthermore, the approval procedures for health supplements and drugs are completely different. Therefore, health supplements cannot replace drug treatment.