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Article: Hyperlipidemia
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Public Health
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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HYPERLIPIDEMIA
The term "hyperlipidemia" describes an extreme elevation in any of several lipid (fatty) substances in the bloodstream, as in conditions such as hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Most of these disorders cause an increased risk for atherosclerosis, which is a buildup of plaque within the arterial wall that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and gangrene. An elevated high-density (healthy) cholesterol, however, is a hyperlipidemia that protects from plaque buildup. To be ...