Warning of Four Major Complications of High Cholesterol: Risk Analysis from Myocardial Infarction to Fatty Liver

What are the complications of high blood lipids? High blood lipids pose a significant threat to the cardiovascular system. They increase total cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, leading to their deposition on the arterial walls, causing atherosclerosis, narrowing of blood vessels, and a sharp reduction in the oxygen supply to the myocardium. Insufficient oxygen to the myocardium can cause severe angina, and excessive oxygen deprivation can lead to large-scale myocardial necrosis, resulting in acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, and sudden cardiac death. High blood lipids accumulating in the liver easily lead to fatty liver disease; approximately 30% of people over 40 years of age are diagnosed with fatty liver during physical examinations. In men, it is often related to alcohol consumption, while in women it is often due to overeating or consuming excessive amounts of oil. High blood lipids can also cause colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and obesity.

Recent studies have found a close relationship between elevated total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, and decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and atherosclerosis. Clinical data shows that atherosclerosis is commonly seen in hypercholesterolemia, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases mainly originate from atherosclerosis, especially coronary heart disease, which can lead to angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and even sudden death. It can be stated definitively that both elevated cholesterol and elevated triglycerides are major risk factors for coronary heart disease, as they both promote the formation and development of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, blood lipids are one of the factors constituting blood viscosity; therefore, abnormal blood lipids can also lead to increased plasma viscosity, promote thrombus formation, further narrowing already atherosclerotic blood vessels, and even triggering cardiovascular events. Therefore, abnormal blood lipids accompanied by coronary heart disease must be taken very seriously.

Obesity: Obese individuals have reduced mobilization and utilization of free fatty acids by their body tissues, leading to the accumulation of free fatty acids in the blood and increased blood lipid volume. Obese individuals often have elevated fasting and postprandial plasma insulin concentrations, approximately twice that of normal individuals. Insulin promotes fat synthesis and inhibits fat breakdown; therefore, obese individuals are prone to hyperlipidemia and elevated blood triglyceride levels. Elevated triglycerides and cholesterol levels are directly proportional to obesity, and high blood lipids can easily induce diseases such as atherosclerosis, gallstones, and gout. Therefore, actively controlling weight is of great benefit in preventing and treating dyslipidemia.