BIOLOGY INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
NAME - ISHITA MOITRA
CLASS/SEC – XII G
ROLL NO - 12
TOPIC - CHOLESTEROL
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Mr./ Ms. of
class 12, with Roll Number of Delhi Public School,
Bangalore East has completed his/her project in the subject of
for the class 12 practical examination of the
Central Board of Secondary Education for the academic year 2020-2021 under
my supervision.
He/ She has taken great care and shown utmost sincerity in the completion of
the project.
I further certify that this project is up to my expectation and is as per CBSE
requirements.
Manila Carvalho Internal Examiner
Principal
External Examiner
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank my school, Delhi Public
School, Bangalore East and my principal
Mrs. Manila Carvalho. I am immensely
grateful to my biology teacher, Mrs. Anjali
Kumar who was kind to share her pearls of
wisdom and enabled me to complete this
project. I would also like to thank my family
and friends for their cooperation and valuable
insights.
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INDEX
1. About cholesterol
2. Symptoms
3. Causes
4. Diagnosis
5. Treatment
6. Case Study
7. Bibliography
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ABOUT CHOLESTEROL
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is
found in all the cells of our body. Our body needs
and makes a definite, limited and required
amount of cholesterol, to build numerous healthy
cells. But, excess of cholesterol can be extremely
harmful. If there’s too much of it in blood, it can
combine with other substances, to form plaque,
that sticks to the walls of arteries- a condition
known as atherosclerosis. It can also lead to
coronary artery disease, thus blocking the
pathway of blood flow, whose results can
sometimes be even fatal.
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Cholesterol is of 3 types-
1. HDL- high density lipoprotein- that is called
“good” cholesterol because it carries the
cholesterol from other body parts to the liver
which then removes the cholesterol from our
body.
2. LDL- low-density lipoprotein- that is called
“bad” cholesterol as high LDL results in
building up of plaque in the arteries.
3. VLDL- very -low density lipoproteins- that is
also called “bad” cholesterol as it too
contributes in plaque-building by carrying
triglycerides in our body.
Cholesterol also helps in the production of hormones
like estrogen, progesterone as well.
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SYMPTOMS
High cholesterol doesn’t have any “external”
symptoms as such, it can only be detected through a
blood/cholesterol test called- lipoprotein panel. The
person may rarely also experience- heart attack,
peripheral artery disease or stroke.
Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per
deciliter(mg/dL). A normal triglyceride level is below
150mg/dL. Given below are the healthy levels of
cholesterol, based on age and gender:
19 YEARS OR YOUNGER (ANYONE)
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MEN AGED 20 YEARS OR OLDER
WOMEN AGED 20 YEARS OR OLDER
As cholesterol has no signs or symptoms, a complete
cholesterol test including total-cholesterol, non-HDL,
LDL,HDL is done to detect any abnormalities.
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CAUSES
• Unhealthy eating habits- eating lots of fats-
saturated fats, diary products,chocolate,
bakes goods, deep fried and processed foods,
fatty fish, excess vegetable oils etc.
• Lack of physical activity- lack of exercise
increases LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Smoking and consumption of alcohol -
lowers HDL (good) cholesterol, especially in
women and increases LDL cholesterol level.
• Genetics- High cholesterol level is also,
sometimes inherited genetically, such as
familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an
inherited form of cholesterol.
• Weight- Obesity is also a huge initiation
factor for the rise of cholesterol level.
• Diabetes- High blood-sugar level contributes
to higher levels of VLDL and low HDL
cholesterol.
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Other causes of high cholesterol include:
• Liver or Kidney disease
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Underactive thyroid gland
• Drugs like progestins, anabolic steroids,
corticosteroids that increase LDL level.
DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis of cholesterol is done on the basis of
the eating habits, physical activity, family history
and lipid panel test of the patient. If cholesterol is
extremely high that includes the complications of
heart diseases, changes are made and a diet plan
is required for the patient.
Based on the blood test, every stage of
cholesterol is treated and diagonised including
severe hypertriglyceridemia- that can be fatal.
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TREATMENT
High cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia can be
treated effectively with change in lifestyles and
certain medications.
Lifestyle- a)Aerobic exercise for at least 15-30
minutes daily.
b)consumption of legumes /pulses
like beas,peas,lentils etc that contain a lot of
fiber,mineral and proteins.
c)Nuts especially almonds and
walnuts helps regulate blood pressure and
provide phytosterols that increase HDL.
d) Fruits, berries, garlic and soy foods
have the strongest effects on people with high
LDL, thus decreasing the same.
e)Pectin-rich vegetables like okra,
eggplants,carrots and potatoes decrease VLDL
level to a great extent.
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f) Consumption of dark leafy greens like kale,
spinach are an excellent source of anti-
oxidants,carotenoids and lutein that get rid of
free radicals that leads to hardened arteries.
Medications-
a) Statins- block the liver from making
cholesterol.
b) Bile acid sequestrants- decrease the amount
of fat absorbed from food.
c) Cholesterol absorption inhibitors- decrease
the amount of cholesterol absorbed from
food and lower triglycerides.
d) Nicotinic acid (niacin)- lowers LDL (bad)
cholesterol, triglycerides and increases
HDL (good) cholesterol. High doses of
niacin can be harmful, so dosage must be
monitored.
e) PCSK9 inhibitors- block a protein called
PCSK9 that helps the liver remove and
clear the LDL cholesterol from the blood.
f) Fibrates- lower triglycerides.
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g) For people who have FH (familial
hypercholestorelemia), medicines such as
lomitapide and mipomersen helps lower
LDL (bad) cholesterol from the blood.
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CASE STUDY
Gender: Male Weight: Normal
Age: 50 years Others: Normal
Medical history: Reported having cholesterol
since 2014, no high complications till date, No
FH, no smoking or consumption of alcohol, no
atherolsclerosis detected, prescription (LIPID
PANEL) as follows:
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Medicines prescribed for the same:
ROSUVASTATIN TABLETS IP AND
ROSUVASTATIN TABLETS 10 MG
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/
2. https://medlineplus.com/
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
4. https://www.heart.org/
5. https://www.healthline.com/
6. https://nhs.uk/
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