Hyperlipidemia is too much cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat protein manufactured by the liver and is essential for healthy cell membranes, hormone production, and vitamin storage.
clogged artery with platelets and cholesterol plaque
Even the brain depends on cholesterol for proper functioning. Cholesterol becomes a problem when too much of the bad kind is produced or ingested through regular eating of unhealthy foods.
Cholesterol is carried through the blood to cells by lipoproteins that are either low density (LDL) or high density (HDL). Think of the lipoprotein as the vehicle and cholesterol as the passenger.
HDL is the good lipoprotein because it carries extra cholesterol back to the liver where it can be eliminated. LDL is bad, as it will build up excess cholesterol in the blood.
Triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood, are different from cholesterol, but because of their strong association with heart disease, triglycerides are measured as well.
Often it is both the LDL and triglycerides that are elevated in hyperlipidemia.
The term hyperlipidemia means high lipid levels. Hyperlipidemia includes several conditions, but it usually means that you have high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels.