Dyslipidaemia

Key facts

• Dyslipidaemia is an imbalance in blood lipid levels: elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, raised LDL, or a combination of these.
• It is one of the leading modifiable risk factors for heart attack and stroke, driven mainly by diet, inactivity, excess weight, and poorly controlled diabetes or hypothyroidism.
• Lifestyle change (less saturated fat, more fibre, regular exercise, less alcohol) is the first step, with medicine added when lipid levels stay out of range.
• For raised LDL cholesterol, statins such as atorvastatin or rosuvastatin are usually the first choice; fibrates such as gemfibrozil are particularly effective for high triglycerides and low HDL.

What shifts the balance

Genetics account for some cases: familial dyslipidaemia runs in families and often needs early attention. More often the causes are lifestyle-related: a diet heavy in fried food and processed snacks, physical inactivity, excess weight around the abdomen, heavy alcohol intake, and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes or hypothyroidism. Secondary dyslipidaemia driven by these underlying conditions often improves considerably once the root cause is addressed. Dyslipidaemia itself rarely causes symptoms, which is why it is usually picked up on a routine blood test rather than through how a person feels; left unmanaged for years, though, it quietly builds up plaque in the arteries.

How it is managed

Lifestyle change is the first step: reducing saturated fat, increasing fibre, exercising regularly, and limiting alcohol. When lipid levels remain out of range despite these changes, medicines are added. For raised LDL cholesterol, statins such as atorvastatin or rosuvastatin are the usual first choice. Fibrates such as gemfibrozil are particularly effective at lowering high triglycerides and raising HDL. Broader cholesterol management often needs a combination approach tailored to which lipid fraction is most out of range, with blood tests every few months tracking whether treatment is working. Because dyslipidaemia has no symptoms of its own, sticking with treatment and follow-up testing matters even when you feel completely well.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your health history.