Proactive control of lipid disorders is the key to preventing cardiovascular disease.

Dyslipidemia is one of the leading risk factors for serious cardiovascular complications such as myocardial infarction and stroke. It is worth noting that the complications progress silently over many years and the patient hardly feels any obvious symptoms.

When vascular damage accumulates sufficiently, it can cause acute and life-threatening events. Dyslipidemia is a common metabolic disorder that occurs when there is an increase in "bad" cholesterol (LDL-C) in the blood, causing atherosclerotic plaque to accumulate in the vessel wall. This process can last silently for decades without causing symptoms. When the atherosclerotic plaque ruptures, a blood clot forms, causing a sudden blockage, leading to myocardial infarction or acute stroke. Notably, this condition occurs not only in the elderly or obese people but also in young people, even those of normal weight and without classic risk factors. Therefore, early screening plays an important role in preventing cardiovascular events.

Cardiovascular disease prevention counseling program for people with lipid disorders.

A typical case shared at the program shows the value of early detection and effective treatment. A 58-year-old male patient, completely asymptomatic, was found to have LDL-C at 195 mg/dL during a routine health check-up at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City (UMPH). In addition, when performing atherosclerosis screening tests: this patient had bilateral carotid atherosclerosis, atherosclerosis and 50% narrowing of the femoral artery. After being diagnosed with severe dyslipidemia and subclinical atherosclerosis (asymptomatic), the patient was classified as being in the very high-risk group. The doctor said that the treatment goal for this patient is for the LDL-C concentration in the blood to be lower than 55 mg/dL and as low as possible, maintained long-term to reduce the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction. The patient was treated immediately with a combination of two drugs, a high-dose statin and ezetimibe (in one combination pill), combined with dietary changes and increased exercise. After 6 months of follow-up, the LDL-C index decreased to 70 mg/dL, and other risk factors were also controlled stably. To achieve the goal (< 55 mg/dL), the patient needs to be more active in exercising and control the diet more closely.

Not all blood lipid components are equally harmful. HDL-C is considered "good cholesterol" because it has the ability to transport and clean excess lipids from the vessel wall, while LDL-C and triglycerides are the main factors promoting the pathological process. Small LDL-C particles easily penetrate the endothelium, are "swallowed" by macrophages to form foam cells, which are considered the foundation for atherosclerotic plaque formation. When this process persists, the vessel wall thickens, hardens and loses elasticity.

Dr. Tran Hoa - Deputy Head of Interventional Cardiology Department examines the patient.

Dr. Tran Hoa - Deputy Head of Interventional Cardiology Department emphasized: "In the treatment of lipid disorders, LDL-C is the main target that needs to be controlled because every 1 mmol/L reduction in LDL-C helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by 20-25%.

Currently, the treatment of dyslipidemia is not just about controlling a test index but a comprehensive strategy based on cardiovascular risk stratification. Patients are assessed comprehensively to determine the risk group, from which appropriate LDL-C targets are set: high-risk groups need to achieve LDL-C below 70 mg/dL, very high-risk groups must be below 55 mg/dL, and for those who have had coronary stents placed, the target is "as low as possible" to limit the risk of stent restenosis. At University Medical Center, doctors use the overall cardiovascular risk assessment tool to develop a personalized treatment regimen, suitable for each patient with specific symptoms. To achieve optimal treatment, lifestyle changes are an indispensable foundation: healthy eating, limiting saturated fat, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking and controlling comorbidities such as obesity, blood pressure, diabetes. In parallel, drug treatment plays a key role and statins are the first choice.

However, Dr. Tran Hoa also noted that only about 20-30% of patients achieve their LDL-C goals with statins alone, even at high doses. When the response is not sufficient, doctors will combine ezetimibe, a cholesterol absorption inhibitor, to help increase the effectiveness of lowering LDL-C while still being safe. Regular monitoring and timely adjustment of the regimen are also very important to maintain long-term treatment effectiveness. At the same time, it is recommended that people should not wait until symptoms appear to go to the doctor. Regular screening, early detection and treatment to achieve LDL-C goals significantly reduce the rate of myocardial infarction, stroke and other cardiovascular complications. In particular, for people over 40 years old, with risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity or a family history of cardiovascular disease, they should proactively check their blood lipids periodically. Early prevention and sustainable control are the keys to protecting a healthy heart.

In order to raise public awareness of this issue, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in collaboration with Gigamed Pharmaceutical Company Limited organized a series of consulting programs "Taking care of your health and your family" with the theme "Preventing cardiovascular disease for people with lipid disorders". Watch the program at: https://bit.ly/Phongnguabenhtimmach

University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/chu-dong-kiem-soat-roi-loan-lipid-mau-chia-khoa-phong-ngua-benh-tim-mach-169251110181331449.htm