Cholesterol can be a fickle element of your health, moving up or down in response to multiple health factors. However, cholesterol is often a negative term associated with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, an unhealthy form of cholesterol; high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is good for the body, and higher levels lead to healthier bodies. If your cholesterol spikes from one test to the next, you can likely blame the change on one of several factors related to your lifestyle.
Smoking
Smoking is a sure way to increase your cholesterol, particularly if you started smoking between tests. Smoking not only increases the LDL cholesterol present in your body, it lowers the presence of HDL in your body, creating a huge gap between healthy cholesterol ratios and those present in your body. This is just one reason smoking increases your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Diet
What you eat is a major factor in your cholesterol levels--among non-smokers, it is even more influential. Cholesterol can be found in high percentages in some meats, particularly red meats and sausages. It is also found in other animal products, such as eggs and dairy. According to the Mayo Clinic, trans fat, a compound found in some foods, has the adverse effect of lowering HDL while raising LDL in the bloodstream. Poor eating habits--particularly if you have made a sudden change in your typical daily diet--can cause a quick change.
Lack of Exercise
Exercising is one of the easiest ways to combat high cholesterol and lower your LDL levels. If you suddenly stop exercising, though, whether due to injury, disinterest or other reasons, it can change the way your body processes and removes cholesterol from the bloodstream. Over time, this can cause a significant change in your cholesterol levels from one test to the next. Even moderate exercise could help curb this effect.
Risks
High LDL cholesterol levels come with steep risks. The most common of these includes high blood pressure and the risk of heart attack, which grows in likelihood as cholesterol accumulates in the arteries near the heart and restricts blood flow. You are also more susceptible to heart disease. All of these risk factors can be fatal if your high cholesterol levels go untreated.
Lifestyle Changes
The good news about cholesterol is that it can be influenced through your lifestyle. Even if you are genetically inclined toward having high cholesterol, you can still make the changes needed to lower LDL cholesterol while raising HDL. Quitting smoking, adopting a low-cholesterol diet and exercising multiple times a week can treat high cholesterol levels. If your health is in danger, you can also obtain cholesterol medications from your doctor.
