What is dyslipidemia?

Medically speaking, dyslipidemia is a blanket diagnostic term used by medical professionals when an imbalance of fats or lipids is present in the bloodstream, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. This term is used to indicate imbalances in all sorts of lipid profiles, including cholesterol and triglycerides.

In most cases, dyslipidemia refers to elevations in cholesterol and triglyceride levels, advises The Merck Manual. However, elevated fat levels are also referred to hyperlipidemia. Therefore, dyslipidemia can mean decreased levels in some patients, but this condition is rare since most people have elevated levels rather than decreased levels, according to The Merck Manual.