Interviewee: Xu Hao, Deputy Director of the Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, and Executive Deputy Director of the Cardiovascular Disease Center at Xiyuan Hospital.
With the arrival of the physical examination season, many women who usually feel perfectly healthy discover abnormal blood lipid levels, such as elevated triglyceride levels, upon examination. Even many young women find upward arrows in their blood lipid test results, leading them to wonder, "What have I done wrong?" The following six factors may make you a prime candidate for abnormal blood lipids.
Menopause
Most women enter menopause around the age of 50. Menopause poses significant challenges to women's physical and mental well-being. In addition to common issues like poor sleep quality, emotional instability, and irritability, there is a more serious concern in the blood vessels throughout the body: the loss of estrogen protection, which leads to an increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, thereby causing abnormal blood lipids.
As is well known, abnormal blood lipids are a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The risk of cardiovascular diseases increases rapidly in women after menopause. The "Chinese Expert Consensus on the Management of Dyslipidemia in Postmenopausal Women" points out that the prevalence of abnormal blood lipids in Chinese women over 50 is significantly higher than in men of the same age. Postmenopausal women may have more potential risk factors, such as poor lifestyle habits, reduced physical activity, and depression, and cardiovascular risks in this group are often underestimated. Therefore, both domestic and international guidelines for managing abnormal blood lipids list menopausal women as a key management group.
Obesity
Obese individuals often prefer high-fat foods, and due to excessive body fat and insufficient ability to process fat, the body's tissues reduce the mobilization and utilization of free fatty acids, leading to abnormal levels of fat in the blood. Extensive epidemiological data show that the degree of obesity is directly proportional to the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood and inversely proportional to the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, significant changes in hormone concentrations can affect blood lipid metabolism. If triglycerides rise significantly during pregnancy, it is crucial not to take it lightly. Untimely treatment can lead to acute pancreatitis in pregnant women, which may cause fetal death and even endanger the mother's life. Therefore, pregnant women with severe hypertriglyceridemia should undergo lipid-lowering treatment under the guidance of a doctor.
Secondary Diseases
Some cases of abnormal blood lipids are secondary to various diseases. For example, diabetes can cause abnormal blood lipids; significantly elevated blood sugar levels can be accompanied by a marked increase in triglycerides. Patients with hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, as well as liver and kidney diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus, and myeloma can also develop secondary abnormal blood lipids. Additionally, certain medications can cause abnormal blood lipids, such as thiazide diuretics, beta-blockers, and the long-term use of glucocorticoids, which can promote fat breakdown and lead to significant increases in plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Poor Habits
Many diseases are closely related to our lifestyle habits, and abnormal blood lipids are no exception. Prolonged sitting, smoking, excessive drinking, overeating, picky eating, irregular eating habits, and high stress can all lead to abnormal blood lipids. The harm of smoking is mainly reflected in its ability to increase serum total cholesterol and triglycerides while lowering the concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, naturally raising blood lipid levels. Alcohol can convert to acetic acid in the body, forming triglycerides, and also increase the secretion of very low-density lipoprotein. Thus, long-term excessive alcohol consumption leads to higher blood lipid levels, resulting in hyperlipidemia.
Family Heredity
Abnormal blood lipids are divided into secondary and primary types. Primary abnormal blood lipids are diagnosed after excluding secondary factors and are often caused by genetic defects or interactions with environmental factors. Some cases of abnormal blood lipids may be due to inherited familial diseases. For example, if a male first-degree relative develops ischemic cardiovascular disease before the age of 55 or a female first-degree relative before the age of 65, or if there is a family history of hyperlipidemia, the likelihood of developing abnormal blood lipids increases.
Medicinal Red Yeast Rice Suitable for Women's Lipid Regulation
Many may not be familiar with red yeast rice, but most have eaten fermented bean curd made from it. Upon closer inspection, many lipid-lowering drugs also contain "red yeast rice." However, not all red yeast rice is the same.
Unlike ordinary red yeast rice, medicinal red yeast rice is more complex to produce. First, the fermentation process uses different strains. Specially cultivated red yeast rice can produce high levels of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors—statins—substances that are the primary components for lipid regulation, which are absent in ordinary red yeast rice fermentation. From a safety perspective, ordinary red yeast rice can only be judged by its appearance, whereas specially prepared red yeast rice allows for quantitative and qualitative analysis of its quality standards and active ingredients, ensuring the drug's safety and efficacy. Additionally, unlike single statin drugs, specially prepared red yeast rice produces 13 natural complex statins, with better bioavailability and easier absorption by the body.
Xu Hao, Deputy Director of the Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Executive Deputy Director of the Cardiovascular Disease Center at Xiyuan Hospital, stated that medicinal red yeast rice contains 13 natural statins and their analogs, flavonoids, ergosterol, and unsaturated fatty acids. Among these, flavonoids can enhance the bioavailability of natural statins, and ergosterol can interfere with cholesterol absorption, reducing cholesterol levels in the body, demonstrating the synergistic effect of multiple components for comprehensive lipid regulation.
For women, due to the unique characteristics of their blood vessels and physique, moderate-intensity lipid regulation is more gentle, safe, and acceptable. Natural lipid-regulating drugs like Xuezhikang, derived from "medicinal red yeast rice" and produced using modern fermentation techniques, contain multiple natural active ingredients. Compared to conventional statin drugs, Xuezhikang can lower total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides while increasing high-density lipoprotein, providing comprehensive lipid regulation. The red yeast rice technology used in Xuezhikang has also secured patents in Canada for new red yeast rice compounds and lipid adjustment applications.
Moreover, research on medicinal red yeast rice has found that it has certain liver-protective effects, some beneficial effects on triglycerides, and high safety, making it suitable for long-term use under medical guidance. Large clinical evidence-based medical studies, such as the China Coronary Secondary Prevention Study (CCSPS), have confirmed that Xuezhikang is effective in lipid regulation and reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events, with fewer adverse reactions. It is gentler and safer, even for long-term use in elderly patients, and has been rated by the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine as a "clinical value Chinese proprietary medicine brand" with "definite efficacy, reliable safety, sufficient evidence, and high quality."
Abnormal blood lipids require comprehensive management and universal improvement. Upon discovering abnormal blood lipid levels during a check-up, it is essential to recognize the importance of lipid management for personal health. Under the guidance of a professional doctor, individuals should understand their blood lipid levels, engage in scientific lipid regulation and intervention, strengthen blood lipid screening, intervene early, and manage blood lipids scientifically to better prevent cardiovascular diseases and dangerous events.
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