Dyslipaemiae - Definition - A few explanations

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The cardiovascular risk factors

THE DYSLIPAEMIAE

- Definition, A few explanations
- Diagnosis
- Assessment of the global cardiovascular risk and target value of the cholesterol rate
- Treatment
- Indication of the hypolipaemic treatments
- Supervision
- Conclusion

DEFINITION

Increase of the lipids rate in blood.

A FEW EXPLANATIONS

Dyslipaemiae are very frequent heterogeneous affections (4 to 10%) within the general population and one of the main factors of cardiovascular risk because 99% of the dyslipaemiae are responsible for the occurrence of atheroma plates. They are most often of genetic origin but the environmental factors, especially nutritional, influence their occurrence.

Their characterization is therefore fundamental because the evolution differs according to the cases. Last important point, their treatment is only understood concurrently to the other factors of cardiovascular risk.

The blood lipids: cholesterol, the triglycerides and the phospholipids are transported under a more water-soluble shape (water soluble): the lipoproteins. These are constituted of a central nucleus (cholesterol or triglycerides) and of a more superficial layer of phospholipids, cholesterol and proteins named apolipoproteins. They have a role of solubility in plasma, of fixing to the specific receptor of the lipoproteins, and of enzymatic regulation.

In pathologies, especially the cholesterol and a little less the triglycerides are responsible for the formation of atheroma plates.

Lipoproteins belong to 4 categories which migrate in electrophoresis according to the order of presentation:

	Size	Composition	Role	Atherogenicity
Chylomicrons	very big	essentially triglycerides	transportation of the triglycerides from the intestine to the liver
VLDL or preblipoprotein	big	triglycerides, cholesterol	distribution of the triglycerides toward tissues
LDL or blipoprotein	average	cholesterol and apoB	distribution of cholesterol to all cells	main atherogenous particles
HDL or alipoprotein	small	cholesterol and apoA1 and A2	return of cholesterol in excess toward the liver	protectors

VLDL: Abbreviation for “very low density lipoprotein;
LDL: Abbreviation for “low density lipoprotein”;
HDL: Abbreviation for “high density lipoprotein”.

File last reviewed on dec 18, 2011

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