The data shows that among the population in China aged 35 and above, the proportion of patients with abnormal blood lipids is as high as 34.7%. However, for this disease of high blood lipids, the awareness rate, treatment rate, and control rate are surprisingly as low as 16.1%, 7.8%, and 4% respectively.
Many patients are not aware that they have high blood lipids, which leads to such low efficacy of treatment and control rates. According to statistics from the Chinese National Cardiovascular Center, the number of patients with abnormal blood lipids in China has reached as high as 400 million.
01
Why is there an increasing number of people with high blood lipids?
The incidence of high blood lipids is on the rise, and the reasons for this are complex. Here are some main reasons:
Genetic factors: Some people carry genes that affect lipid metabolism, which may be inherited by offspring, leading to abnormal lipid metabolism and elevated levels of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, etc. in the blood.
Unhealthy lifestyle habits: Long-term consumption of high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar diets, and lack of exercise are important factors that lead to high blood lipids. These unhealthy habits can result in the intake of excess energy by the body, which is converted into fat, thereby causing high blood lipids.
Age factors: With increasing age, the body’s functions age, the metabolic rate decreases, affecting lipid metabolism, leading to high blood lipids.
Disease factors: Some diseases such as obesity, hypothyroidism, diabetes, hypertension, liver and kidney diseases, etc., may affect lipid or lipoprotein synthesis, transport, and metabolism through different mechanisms, leading to elevated blood lipids.
Medication factors: Long-term use of diuretics, beta-blockers, and other drugs can affect lipid metabolism, causing elevated levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. in the blood, resulting in high blood lipids.
In addition, factors such as staying up late, smoking, excessive drinking, and lack of exercise may also trigger high blood lipids.
02
Can reducing meat intake and only consuming vegetarian food help lower blood lipid levels?
Reducing meat consumption and only consuming vegetarian food can help lower blood lipid levels to some extent, but it does not guarantee a complete reduction in blood lipid levels. Firstly, consuming vegetarian food helps lower blood lipid levels because it avoids the consumption of foods with high fat content, thus reducing fat intake, which helps lower blood lipid levels.
However, it is important to note that besides controlling fat intake, the treatment of high blood lipids also requires considering other factors, such as exercise and medication.
Furthermore, even if high blood lipid patients choose to be vegetarian, they still need to pay attention to the types and amounts of food consumed. Not only meat but also staple foods with high carbohydrate content may be converted into fat.
When the carbohydrate content in food exceeds the body’s requirements, it is converted into triglycerides, which may lead to elevated blood lipids. In addition, some vegetarian foods have high oil and fat content, and excessive consumption by high blood lipid patients may also lead to elevated blood lipids.
Moreover, being vegetarian does not completely prevent high blood lipids. The formation of high blood lipids has complex and diverse causes, including genetics, age, diseases, medications, etc.
Even if one is vegetarian, excessive food intake, an imbalanced diet structure, excessive drinking, or abnormal fat metabolism issues may lead to elevated blood lipids.
03
Reminder: Besides meat, these 3 vegetables should be consumed sparingly
Patients with high blood lipids should be particularly careful in their daily diet because inappropriate diet choices may worsen the conditions of high blood lipids. Some seemingly common vegetables may pose risks to high blood lipid patients, and among them, there are three types of vegetables that high blood lipid patients should consume sparingly.
Potatoes
Although potatoes are rich in nutritional value, they are also high in starch, which can be converted into sugar in the body and may then turn into fat, which is unfavorable for high blood lipid patients.
Therefore, when consuming potatoes, high blood lipid patients should control the amount or consider using potatoes as part of the main course, substituting other high-starch foods.
Pickles
Pickles that have been pickled not only have excessive salt content, which can lead to high blood pressure, but may also produce some harmful substances during the pickling process, posing a threat to one’s health. In addition, the sodium ions in pickles can affect the body’s water balance, increase blood viscosity, and further exacerbate the symptoms of high blood lipids.
Water Spinach
Although water spinach is refreshing and delicious, it is rich in oxalates, which can bind with calcium ions in the body to form less absorbable calcium oxalate, affecting the absorption and utilization of calcium.
For high blood lipid patients, a lack of calcium can lead to reduced elasticity of blood vessel walls, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, high blood lipid patients should consume water spinach in moderation.
04
What are the harms of persistent high blood lipids?
Blood flow obstruction: Prolonged high blood lipids can increase blood viscosity, slow down blood flow, affect the normal circulation of blood, and increase the risk of blood clot formation.
Hypertension: If high blood lipids are not controlled for an extended period, it can lead to slowed blood flow, increased vascular resistance, and thereby induce high blood pressure.
Fatty liver: Failure to promptly treat high blood lipids can increase the burden on the liver, leading to the deposition of lipids in the liver, causing fatty liver.
Atherosclerosis: High blood lipids are a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as cerebral thrombosis, coronary heart disease, etc. These diseases, when they occur, may lead to paralysis, coma, myocardial infarction, etc.
Kidney damage: High blood lipids can also harm the kidneys, possibly causing renal insufficiency, renal failure, etc.
Eye diseases: High blood lipids can increase blood viscosity, leading to vascular calcification, which may trigger early keratopathy and even vision loss or blindness.
Acute pancreatitis: In situations where triglyceride levels are extremely high (such as greater than 5mmol/L), it may lead to acute pancreatitis, a rapidly progressive and life-threatening condition.
In addition to the above risks, high blood lipids can also increase the risks of diabetes, rapid aging, and other health issues. Therefore, patients with high blood lipids should take proactive intervention measures, including a low-fat diet, moderate exercise, avoiding binge eating/drinking, using lipid-lowering medications, etc., to control blood lipid levels and reduce the occurrence of the mentioned risks. Additionally, high blood lipid patients should undergo regular medical check-ups to timely detect and address related health problems.
