Side Effect: High Cholesterol (hyperlipidemia)

What is High Cholesterol (hyperlipidemia)?

Elevated cholesterol, also known as hyperlipidemia refers to high levels of lipids or fat in a patient’s blood. This can lead to a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries (a type of blood vessel), causing an increased risk of developing a heart attack or a stroke.

What does High Cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) look like?

High cholesterol often does not present with symptoms, and many patients might not know they have it. However, it can increase the risk of developing heart disease. Once heart disease occurs, patients may experience:

Who gets High Cholesterol (hyperlipidemia)?

Patients with cancer can develop high cholesterol for a variety of reasons, including cancer treatment.

How long does High Cholesterol last?

How to prevent High Cholesterol (hyperlipidemia)

To prevent high cholesterol in patients with cancer, risk factors need to be appropriately managed.

Risk factors include:

Healthcare providers may draw labs (blood tests) on patients with cancer before, during, or after treatment to determine if cholesterol levels are high.

These labs will include cholesterol numbers and will be monitored for any change in lipid levels.

How to treat High Cholesterol (hyperlipidemia)

High cholesterol can be categorized into mild or severe cases.

References

1. de Jesus M, Mohammed T, Singh M, Tiu JG, Kim AS. Etiology and Management of Dyslipidemia in Patients With Cancer. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022 Apr 25;9:892335.

Created: May 3, 2024 Updated: May 3, 2024