Middle-aged patients with cerebral infarction, triglycerides dropped from 6.8 to 1.6, reminding: insist on eating 3 kinds of food

"Doctor, you must save him, our daughter is only 4 years old, she can't live without her father!" the patient's wife pleaded as she burst into tears, holding the doctor's hand. And lying on the hospital bed was her husband, 49-year-old Mr. Li.

Mr. Li is a mahjong enthusiast. Before the onset of the disease, he stayed up late and played mahjong for 5 hours. When he got up and left, he suddenly became dizzy, his limbs were numb , and he fell to the ground unconscious. After being sent to the hospital, he was diagnosed with acute cerebral infarction , and the triglyceride level was as high as 6.8mmol/L , which was the main culprit of this cerebral infarction.

Fortunately, due to timely medical treatment, Mr. Li recovered his ability to speak and move his limbs a little after receiving intravenous thrombolytic therapy for 1 hour.

In the past, Mr. Li needed to work and socialize, eating and drinking, playing cards and smoking were common occurrences. After this narrow escape, he made up his mind to change his lifestyle and didn't want to sacrifice his health anymore.

Under the guidance of the doctor, Mr. Li took aspirin and atorvastatin calcium on time every day , actively adjusted his diet, increased the intake of dietary fiber, reduced high-fat food, and insisted on exercising. After half a year of hard work, Mr. Li lost 8 kg in weight, his triglycerides dropped to 1.6mmol/L , and other indicators were normal.

The doctor in charge said that the reason why Mr. Li recovered so well was not only personal awareness and persistence, but more importantly, the correct method to achieve results .

1. Hyperlipidemia hurts the whole body!

With the change of lifestyle, more and more people are targeted by the "three highs", especially hyperlipidemia, which is one of the "culprits" that threaten the health of middle-aged and elderly people .

Hyperlipidemia refers to one or more lipid substances in plasma higher than normal levels, including cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids and non-free fatty acids. Statistics show that the overall prevalence of dyslipidemia in Chinese adults is as high as 40.40%.

Hyperlipidemia can cause unimaginable harm to the body and can lead to the following diseases:

①Fatty liver

The liver is the main source of triglyceride lipoproteins in the human body. When the liver cannot metabolize normally, it is easy to cause hyperlipidemia. At the same time, the increase of liver fat will also promote the formation of non-alcoholic fatty liver.

② Diabetes

Hyperlipidemia increases insulin resistance, and studies have confirmed that hypertriglyceridemia and certain markers of the metabolic syndrome predate the onset of type 2 diabetes . In other words, hyperlipidemia increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

③High blood pressure

Hyperlipidemia and hypertension are a family, and the two affect each other, especially in obese people, often appearing at the same time. In addition, the pro-inflammatory factors in patients with hyperlipidemia can damage the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular , leading to abnormal blood pressure.

④ Atherosclerosis

Hyperlipidemia, on the one hand, will directly lead to atherosclerosis, on the other hand, it will cause other related lipoprotein abnormalities, which will further aggravate atherosclerosis.

2. What is the relationship between cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoproteins?

When middle-aged and elderly people go to the hospital for examination, they often have to draw blood to test four blood lipids , including triglyceride ( TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL).

·Triglycerides

Participate in energy metabolism in the human body and generate heat energy, but when the level is too high, it will cause blood viscosity, lipid deposition on the blood vessel wall, forming small plaques, and leading to atherosclerosis.

·Total cholesterol

Refers to the sum of cholesterol contained in all lipoproteins in the blood, about 50% is synthesized by the body, and 50% comes from diet.

·Low-density lipoprotein

It is bad cholesterol, and its increase is related to atherosclerosis. It can enter the blood vessel wall and form the lipid core of atherosclerotic plaque.

· High-density lipoprotein

It is good cholesterol , participates in the reverse transport of cholesterol,reduces the deposition of cholesterol on the blood vessel wall, and prevents atherosclerosis.

In clinical practice, doctors often use the following table to stratify blood lipids, but strictly speaking, the ideal blood lipid levels are different for different groups of people , and whether there is coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, family history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc. should also be considered.

3. Do these points well to safely reduce blood lipids

Hyperlipidemia affects the whole body. If you want to safely reduce blood lipids, you must improve your lifestyle , such as moderate exercise, quit smoking and limit alcohol; improve your diet , diversify your food, reduce oil and salt, etc.; control your weight reasonably to avoid overweight and obesity.

In terms of improving diet, in addition to avoiding food, some foods can be eaten more appropriately, such as:

1. Foods rich in dietary fiber

Pay attention to the intake of miscellaneous grains, potatoes and miscellaneous beans, daily intake of 250 to 400 grams . Generally speaking, a bowl of ordinary-sized rice is about 250 grams, which is equivalent to 100 grams of raw rice, which can be used to compare grain and potato foods.

In addition, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits . Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber. It is recommended to consume 300-500 grams of vegetables and 200-350 grams of fruits every day.

2. Eat more high-quality protein

Eat more high-quality protein and reduce the proportion of high-fat foods. Milk and milk products, soybeans and soy products, chicken, fish, etc. are all good sources of protein. Nuts contain high-quality fatty acids and can also be eaten in moderation.

3. Drink plenty of water

The blood of patients with hyperlipidemia is too viscous. Drinking more water can " dilute " the blood, reduce the viscosity, promote circulation, and prevent the formation of thrombus . If there is no heart failure, kidney failure and other diseases, it is recommended that adult men drink 1700 ml a day, and adult women drink 1500 ml a day.

Extension: Can the drug be stopped after blood lipids drop to normal?

Answer: No, you should continue to take the medicine to keep the blood lipid level at the normal standard for a long time .

If the drug is stopped easily, blood lipids may rise again, causing greater harm to the cardiovascular system. Only by insisting on taking medicine can the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular be protected. As for when to stop the drug, you should follow the doctor's guidance and don't decide without authorization.

Nowadays, hyperlipidemia is no longer a "geriatric disease", so whether you are middle-aged or young, you must develop a healthy lifestyle to avoid hyperlipidemia, and don't let yourself regret it too late.

References:

[1] Forty percent of Chinese people have dyslipidemia! If you want to adjust your blood lipids, you must first learn to eat! .Health Times. 2021-07-20

[2] Understanding the laboratory test sheet series ①: Understanding the "high and low" of blood lipid levels. Human Health. 2021-08-13

[3] Joint Committee for Revision of Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Chinese Adults. Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Chinese Adults (2016 Revised Edition) [J]. Chinese Journal of Circulation, 2016, 31(10): 937-950.

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