Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptoms of Mixed HyperlipidemiaCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms of Mixed Hyperlipidemia
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Frequently Asked Questions
Mixed hyperlipidemia can be passed down through families, which is why it’s also called familial combined hyperlipidemia. However, it can also be idiopathic (with an unknown cause) or a result of other conditions, such as liver disease, kidney disease, and thyroid disease.
People with mixed hyperlipidemia may develop high cholesterol or high triglyceride levels as teenagers.The condition may also be diagnosed when people are in their 20s and 30s. The levels remain high throughout life.
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In the early years, people with mixed hyperlipidemia may have no symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they can include:
High Cholesterol Symptoms and Signs
A number of genes and genetic mutations have been linked to mixed hyperlipidemia, but the exact mutation or cause is still uncertain.Newer studies have suggested there may be a miscommunication between the genes that regulate cholesterol, specifically in what’s known as Wnt–LRP6 coreceptor signaling.
Additional Risk Factors
Studies have shown that mixed hyperlipidemia is more common in people who have the following conditions:
Mixed hyperlipidemia is diagnosed mainly through blood tests and a physical exam. Alipid paneland other blood tests will measure cholesterol levels in your blood. The tests are done with a small sample of blood taken from one of your veins. The sample is usually collected in the morning, after at least 12 hours of fasting.
Hyperlipidemia is diagnosed if your blood tests reveal:
Normal ranges of each of these substances are:
Testing for Mixed Hyperlipidemia
Mixed hyperlipidemia may be overlooked without taking a thorough family history or performing additional tests. Tests can tell you whether you have elevated levels of a particular protein in LDL cholesterol called apolipoprotein B100. This protein is responsible for moving cholesterol throughout your body. High levels of it may indicate mixed hyperlipidemia.
What Are Normal Cholesterol Levels?
Generally, mixed hyperlipidemia is treated the same way as nongenetic forms of hyperlipidemia. In most cases, this means a combination of lifestyle changes and medications.
The goal of treatment is to prevent the condition from progressing to atherosclerosis, a buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances on artery walls.
Lifestyle Changes
Making changes to your diet is usually the first step your healthcare provider will take to help lower your cholesterol levels. You will need to try dietary changes for several months before your doctor recommends medications.
Lifestyle changes that can prevent mixed hyperlipidemia include:
High Cholesterol Diet: What to Eat and Avoid
Medication
Medications that can help lower cholesterol levels includestatinsandfibrates. Common examples of statins prescribed for mixed hyperlipidemia include:
Other medications that can help further lower cholesterol levels may also be prescribed, including:
12 Ways to Reduce LDL Cholesterol
Early recognition and healthy lifestyle changes can help you keep mixed hyperlipidemia from progressing to atherosclerosis.
Your overall prognosis will depend on:
Possible Complications
Complications from mixed hyperlipidemia arise when the high levels of cholesterol in your blood begin to collect in your arteries and impair your blood flow.
Summary
A Word From Verywell
If you have mixed hyperlipidemia, you can still make dietary choices that can help lower your cholesterol. You may also need to take medications. The goal is to prevent the formation of plaques that could lead to atherosclerosis and eventually heart attack or stroke.
Make sure to talk with your doctor not just about your personal lifestyle choices and medical history but your family medical history, as well. Caught early and treated, this condition can minimize its impact on your life.
Frequently Asked QuestionsAvoid foods high in saturated fat and trans fats, added sugars, and prepackaged foods. It also helps to limit your intake of meat, egg yolks, and organ meat, which contain a high amount of cholesterol. Choose whole foods like fruits and vegetables over processed foods whenever possible.Lifestyle changes are the best first steps for treating mixed hyperlipidemia. You may also be prescribed medications like statins that can help lower your cholesterol levels.The life expectancy for a person with mixed hyperlipidemia varies depending on a number of factors, including adherence to a recommended diet and treatment plan. Your age and how well your cholesterol levels respond to treatment can also affect your long-term outlook.Hyperlipidemia refers to high levels of lipids (fats) in the blood. High cholesterol (also called hypercholesterolemia) is a type of hyperlipidemia, but it refers only to total cholesterol in the blood.
Avoid foods high in saturated fat and trans fats, added sugars, and prepackaged foods. It also helps to limit your intake of meat, egg yolks, and organ meat, which contain a high amount of cholesterol. Choose whole foods like fruits and vegetables over processed foods whenever possible.
Lifestyle changes are the best first steps for treating mixed hyperlipidemia. You may also be prescribed medications like statins that can help lower your cholesterol levels.
The life expectancy for a person with mixed hyperlipidemia varies depending on a number of factors, including adherence to a recommended diet and treatment plan. Your age and how well your cholesterol levels respond to treatment can also affect your long-term outlook.
Hyperlipidemia refers to high levels of lipids (fats) in the blood. High cholesterol (also called hypercholesterolemia) is a type of hyperlipidemia, but it refers only to total cholesterol in the blood.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Familial combined hyperlipidemia.
Bello-Chavolla OY, Kuri-García A, Ríos-Ríos M, Vargas-Vázquez A, Cortés-Arroyo JE, Tapia-González G, Cruz-Bautista I, Aguilar-Salinas CA.FAMILIAL COMBINED HYPERLIPIDEMIA: CURRENT KNOWLEDGE, PERSPECTIVES, AND CONTROVERSIES.Rev Invest Clin. 2018;70(5):224-236. doi:10.24875/RIC.18002575
Cleveland Clinic.Cholesterol numbers: What do they mean?
MedlinePlus.Apolipoprotein B100.
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