Causes of High Cholesterol
High cholesterol levels are due to a variety of factors including heredity, diet, and lifestyle. Less commonly, underlying illnesses affecting the liver, thyroid, or kidney may affect blood cholesterol levels. Sholesterol level in your body is also related to the food products you consume which contain trans fat, saturated fats and cholesterol, which is the major cause of raising cholesterol levels in the blood stream.
Heredity
Genes is also a cause of high cholesterol levels. Familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited form of high cholesterol that may lead to early heart disease. So, if anyone in your family has suffered from high cholesterol, you may have a tendency to suffer from it too. High cholesterol caused by heredity can be controlled with medication under a doctor's supervision.
Obesity
Over weight may modestly increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol level. Losing weight may lower LDL and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. This is one of the major cause of high cholesterol as it occurs when the body mass is mostly made up of fat. Fat in turn, contain cholesterol. That is why, it is important to keep an ideal weight at all times.
Physical exercise
Lack of physical activity may lower triglycerides and raise HDL cholesterol levels.
Age and sex
Before menopause, women usually have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. As women and men age, their blood cholesterol levels rise until about 60-65 years of age. After about age 50 years, women often have higher total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.
Alcohol use
Moderate (1-2 drinks daily) alcohol intake increases HDL (good) cholesterol but does not lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Drinking too much alcohol damage the liver and heart muscle, lead to high blood pressure, and raise triglyceride levels.
Mental stress
Several studies have shown that stress raises blood cholesterol levels over the long term. One way that stress may do this is by affecting your habits. For example, when some people are under stress, they console themselves by eating fatty foods. The saturated fat and cholesterol in these foods contribute to higher levels of blood cholesterol.
Heredity
Genes is also a cause of high cholesterol levels. Familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited form of high cholesterol that may lead to early heart disease. So, if anyone in your family has suffered from high cholesterol, you may have a tendency to suffer from it too. High cholesterol caused by heredity can be controlled with medication under a doctor's supervision.
Obesity
Over weight may modestly increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol level. Losing weight may lower LDL and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. This is one of the major cause of high cholesterol as it occurs when the body mass is mostly made up of fat. Fat in turn, contain cholesterol. That is why, it is important to keep an ideal weight at all times.
Physical exercise
Lack of physical activity may lower triglycerides and raise HDL cholesterol levels.
Age and sex
Before menopause, women usually have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. As women and men age, their blood cholesterol levels rise until about 60-65 years of age. After about age 50 years, women often have higher total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.
Alcohol use
Moderate (1-2 drinks daily) alcohol intake increases HDL (good) cholesterol but does not lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Drinking too much alcohol damage the liver and heart muscle, lead to high blood pressure, and raise triglyceride levels.
Mental stress
Several studies have shown that stress raises blood cholesterol levels over the long term. One way that stress may do this is by affecting your habits. For example, when some people are under stress, they console themselves by eating fatty foods. The saturated fat and cholesterol in these foods contribute to higher levels of blood cholesterol.
