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The causes of increase and decrease in total cholesterol
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 19.10.2021
The content of cholesterol in the blood increases with type I, IIA, IIB, III, IV, V, polygenic hypercholesterolemia, familial combined hyperlipidemia, primary exogenous hypertriglyceridemia, liver diseases, intra- and extrahepatic cholestasis, pancreatic and prostate cancers, glomerulonephritis, hypothyroidism , nephrotic syndrome, chronic renal failure, alcoholism, isolated somatotropic hormone deficiency (STH), hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, gout, glycogenoses I, III and VI types, large thalassemia, analbuminemia, dyslobulinemia, Werner's syndrome, idiopathic hypercalcemia, acute renal failure.
Reduction in cholesterol in the blood is noted with a deficiency of α-lipoproteins, hypoproteinemia and abetalipoproteinemia, liver cirrhosis, malignant liver tumors, hyperthyroidism, malabsorption syndrome, malnutrition, sideroblastic anemia, thalassemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, lymphangiectasia of the intestine, megaloblastic anemia. Rapid reduction in cholesterol concentration in liver diseases is a poor prognostic sign, often observed with subacute liver dystrophy. When evaluating the results of a study of total cholesterol, it should be borne in mind that some drugs have a pronounced effect on its concentration in the blood.
- Increase the concentration of cholesterol in the blood: androgens, chlorpropamide, glucocorticosteroids, ACTH, epinephrine (adrenaline), sulfonamides, meprobamate, phenothiazines, thiazide diuretics.
- Reduces the concentration of cholesterol in the blood colchicine, haloperidol, monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
In assessing the risk of developing atherosclerosis and its clinical manifestations, the indicators reflecting the content of not only total cholesterol but also cholesterol fractions are often used.