Although you should always follow the diet described, it is difficult to normalize cholesterol levels only with dietary changes. Therefore, usually require treatment with medication, in addition to changes in lifestyle.

The most effective medications are currently statins, which lower LDL cholesterol production in the liver. Thus, it can reduce blood levels of this type of cholesterol up to 50%.

Another medication used is ion exchange resins, which favors the removal of cholesterol content in bile from the intestine. These are the only drugs recommended for use in children and adolescents.

You may need to associate both types of medication or combined with fibrates.

Very severe cases of homozygous FH need other measures such as plasma cleaning (plasmapheresis).

Both children and adults with suspected FH should go to a lipid specialist to confirm the diagnosis and determine the most appropriate treatment in each case.

What is the prognosis of familial hypercholesterolemia?

The natural history of FH varies greatly, but the members of the same family tend to follow a similar course.

Without proper treatment, the risk of dying from a myocardial infarction before 40 years in people with FH is much higher than among the general population and about one third of patients have no symptoms until they suffer cardiac death suddenly. It has been estimated that up to 50% of men and 40% of women with untreated FH, have had an acute coronary thrombosis before 60 years.

It should follow a diet rich in bread, vegetables, fruits, vegetables, oily fish and olive oil, and limit consumption of low fat dairy, meat and dairy products.

In adulthood, it can accept a moderate consumption of red wine, because it increases HDL cholesterol and may reduce the negative effect of LDL cholesterol. This consumption is not advisable if there is high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides or other diseases that are aggravated by alcohol.

It is very important, if you do smoke, quit .. In patients with severe hypercholesterolemia, smoking significantly increases the risk of heart disease.

Maintain an active lifestyle and regular exercise strengthens the heart and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

It requires a blood test after fasting for 12 hours (which can only drink water). In the sample measures the levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (known as bad cholesterol), HDL cholesterol (known as good cholesterol) and triglycerides. The results suggest a HF if LDL cholesterol levels are very high and triglycerides are normal, with no other associated disease data.

They are very typical of the FH foreign deposits of cholesterol, above, and family history of elevated cholesterol and / or premature cardiovascular disease. In specialized centers the diagnosis can be confirmed by genetic testing. If the LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are both increased is more likely to be suffering from familial combined hyperlipidemia.

For a proper assessment of cholesterol levels, should take into account the rise with age in males. Also elevated during pregnancy and drops significantly, but transient (1-3 months), after a major illness, such as a myocardial infarction.

Finally, the doctor needs to identify possible data developed cardiovascular disease through examination of the heart, arterial pulse and blood pressure. Sometimes, when the suspicion of coronary lesions is high, it is also a stress test, which examines changes in the heart when the person is subjected to physical exercise.

In many cases, however, careful observation by the physician can detect cholesterol deposits in the eyes, in the form of a ring in the iris, or the eyelid skin and tendons (eg Achilles tendon ) and yellowish-white plates, some outstanding and of variable size.

Another indicator of possible FH is the story of several family members with high cholesterol or coronary heart disease at an early age (before age 55 in men or 65 in women). Sometimes they learn of their disease when symptoms of cardiovascular disease, which develop as a result of a process of arteriosclerosis. This is very slow and, in fact, begins in childhood or adolescence.

It can be compared with calcium deposits in a water pipe, due to which, little by little, the gap is becoming smaller and the inner surface becomes more irregular. Similarly, when the injuries are very developed arteries, blood can not circulate freely and produce symptoms. When completely disrupted the blood supply to a tissue, there is death or necrosis.

The disease is especially serious when it affects the coronary arteries and is a heart attack, symptoms may include:

- Crushing pain in the center of the chest that appears after physical exertion or exposure to cold and can extend to the arm or neck (angina pectoris).

- The same intense and prolonged symptoms may indicate that it is producing an acute coronary thrombosis, which triggers an acute myocardial infarction. This is the area of ??heart muscle that was being supplied by the obstructed vessel suffers irreversible damage, after which it forms a fibrous scar, and the heart is weakened.

All body cells, but more marked in the liver, present on its surface some elements or receptors that serve to collect the cholesterol is carried in blood particles called low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

People with FH have a defect in the DNA of the gene for the production of these receptors. For this reason, LDL cholesterol, which can not be removed from the blood, builds up and raise their levels. Eventually deposited in artery walls, accelerating the process of atherosclerosis.

The genetic mechanisms for the production of LDL receptor are well known and have identified more than 300 different genetic errors that lead to HF.

Are there other causes of high cholesterol?

In addition to HF and polygenic hypercholesterolemia, there are other hereditary diseases that evolve with elevations, sometimes significant, LDL cholesterol. These include familial combined hyperlipidemia (relatively common) and dysbetalipoproteinemia (rare) are also both high triglycerides, another fat or lipids in the body.

On the other hand, excess weight, lack of exercise, a diet rich in animal fat and some medications also favor increased levels of cholesterol.

The average levels of cholesterol in the population are higher in countries of northern Europe and North America than in the south as Spain. In Asia are still much lower.

In some cases high cholesterol levels may be a symptom of other diseases such as:

- Hypothyroidism (lack of thyroid hormone)

- Kidney disease

- Diabetes

- Diseases of liver

Cholesterol levels involves many different factors: race, geographic origin, diet, lifestyle, etc. The main factor is, however, influence or genetic inheritance. This is the reason why you can find several people with high cholesterol in the same family. There is a hereditary form that produces slight elevations of the levels (polygenic hypercholesterolemia), but when there are many families with very high cholesterol, you should suspect a metabolic disorder such as familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).

The HF is due to a genetic defect that affects some elements of the surface of cells, called LDL receptors (English acronym for low-density lipoprotein), being responsible for the uptake of this form of cholesterol. Enough that only one parent to transmit the disease, it manifests itself, which happens in about one in 500 people (so-called heterozygous). Much more rare is that both parents transmit the disease (homozygous form), in which case the disease is severe and occurs at younger ages.

The disease is transmitted from generation to generation, so that siblings and children of a person with FH have a 50% risk of developing HF. However, it skips generations, ie, children and grandchildren of families who do not have a defective gene are not at risk for HF.

In this disease, blood cholesterol level is above normal values ??at birth and causes a premature onset of atherosclerosis and vascular diseases. It considers the following degrees of hypercholesterolemia:

- Ideal level: less than 200 mg/dl

- Slightly elevated cholesterol: 200 to 240 mg/dl

- Cholesterol moderately high: between 240 and 300 mg/dl

- Very high cholesterol, above 300 mg/dl.

This condition is usually treated with proper diet and often also requires the use of drugs. The possibility of genetic manipulation therapy is still a future promise.

Popcorn is made from corn. It is not the material that comes into discussion of healthy life style. Popcorn is made by adding margarine to make it tasty. How much the margarine? For delicious pop corn, it needs lots of margarine. Margarine is made from vegetable fat but processed in hydrogenated way. This process turns out popcorn into unhealthy food. The hydrogenated fat will stick in the blood vessel and develops blood cloth. Once the blood cloth big enough, it will totally block the blood vessel, causing heart attack or stroke. From this point of view, pop corn will not be the way to answer: “how to lower cholesterol”. The hydrogenated fat in the margarine is the bad cholesterol you should avoid as early as possible.

If it is not pop corn, what would be your healthy snack in cinema? You could choose dried fruit if you need sweet food. You could choose beans and nut for snacks. This is the strategy to have healthy food anytime in your day. Do not create excuse for snacks!  Find creative ideas for healthy snacks and food supplements for lowering cholesterol in lowercholesterol.org

If you know how to cook the healthy food in the right way, it actually taste good, even better than the unhealthy one. You need to take food that contains with beneficial nutrients like green leaf vegetables, fruits, and animal proteins. HDL cholesterol is very beneficial to your body, they can maintain your heart health, and they can reduce the bad effect of LDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol can prevent blocked artery walls; they boost the blood circulation to avoid inflammation. HDL cholesterol is your best friend to fight the LDL cholesterol. They work like bad cholesterol killer.

If you want to live your life healthy, then you should engage in healthy life style, you have to do exercise at least three times a week, and avoid unhealthy food. Make your first move, right now, because you never know what will happen in the future.

Practice daily exercise, and maintain a healthy diet, this is the secret to feel good.

* Infusion of Arnica, this plant will help reduce your cholesterol levels, and promote kidney function, Place 6 cups water heating, and they begin to boil, you must add the following seven tablespoons of herb preparation, arnica, veronica, Vera gold and Elder, stir and let stand, filter and may take up to 3 cups daily after meals for 15 days.

* Chamomile: Prepare the traditional chamomile tea and drink three cups a day of it.

* Radicheta: There must be a decoction of 50 grams of dried root per liter of water, leaving boiling for 12 minutes, and can be taken several times a day.

* Canary: This infusion can regulate blood cholesterol levels, and must be performed by boiling two teaspoons of birdseed, one clove garlic and the juice of half a lemon, when all these ingredients to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for 20 minutes. Strain and let stand until cool. It should take half a glass of the preparation, fasting with lemon juice and continue the treatment for at least 30 days.

Here I give you eight highly beneficial herbs to reduce cholesterol levels by teas and infusions, so that you present.

* Birch: Birch leaves possesses diuretic and tonic effect, which allows us to eliminate through the urine metabolized pollutants that are carried by our blood.

* Artichoke: This rich plant contains specific chemicals that cholesterol down, they are cinarina and flavonoids, the first substance has a liver function and blood cholesterol by inhibiting the action of bradykinin, a very damaging agent in the presence of arteriosclerosis.

* Horsetail: It is diuretic and removes impurities from the blood.

* Espino Albar: It is an excellent tonic for the heart and circulatory system, provoking a mild dilation in the coronary arteries.

* Dandelion: It stimulates bile secretion, is hypercholesterolemic, prevents atherosclerotic processes, and is an excellent diuretic and cleanser.

* Fucus: This substance has a large amount of mucilage, which has cholesterol-lowering effects, is a natural activator of the thyroid gland and increases the combustion of lipids.

* Romero: It modifies biliary liver function, which increases the elimination of its acid and this causes a reduction in cholesterol.