Cholesterol is a waxy substance found within the fat in your blood. While cholesterol is necessary for healthy cells, high cholesterol is one of the primary risk factors for heart disease. There are two main types of cholesterol: LDL, or bad cholesterol, which keeps cholesterol in the blood and HDL, or good cholesterol, which removes cholesterol from the body. Patients with a total cholesterol of 240 mg/dL or higher or an LDL of 160 mg/dL or higher are diagnosed with high cholesterol. Many factors can increase your risk of developing high cholesterol.
Heredity
Genetics play a major role in determining your risk of blood cholesterol levels. In part, your genes predetermine the amount of cholesterol your body makes naturally. This can influence whether you have low HDL levels, high LDL levels, high triglycerides or high total cholesterol level. Additionally, high cholesterol levels place you at a higher risk of heart disease if a parent or sibling develops heart disease before the age of 55.
Gender & Age
On average, men tend to have lower HDL levels than women. This is because the female sex hormone estrogen is linked to higher HDL levels. After menopause, estrogen levels drop. This causes women's HDL levels to decrease and LDL levels to increase. As men age, both their LDL and triglyceride levels rise, thereby increasing the risk of developing heart disease. Pregnancy can also elevate blood cholesterol in women, but it typically returns to normal after delivery.
Smoking
Smoking raises your risk for cardiovascular disease and its risk factors by damaging the walls of your blood vessels and making them more likely to accumulate fatty cholesterol deposits. Smoking also reduces HDL, or good cholesterol. This limits your body's ability to remove cholesterol from the blood.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is the increased pressure on your artery walls. The increased pressure causes damage to the arteries. In turn, damage makes them more susceptible to the formation of fatty cholesterol deposits. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are two of the primary risk factors for heart disease.
Diet
A diet rich in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol will increase your cholesterol levels, especially LDL levels. Saturated fat is found in animal products such as red meat and full-fat dairy. Trans fat is in fried foods and prepared packaged foods. Reducing the amount of these substances is an important step in controlling your blood cholesterol levels. Consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help keep your cholesterol within the normal range.
Weight
Excess weight is a risk factor for most health conditions. It is most definitely a risk factor for high cholesterol and heart disease. If your body mass index is 30 or greater, you are at an increased risk of developing high cholesterol. Losing weight can help you to lower your LDL, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as raise your HDL levels.
Diabetes
High blood sugar levels, as with diabetes, are associated with elevated cholesterol levels. In particular, it elevates your LDL cholesterol and lowers your HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar also damages the lining of your artery walls.
Physical Activity
A lack of exercise is a risk factor for elevated cholesterol and heart disease. If you do not exercise, it will lead to weight gain, increased LDL and total cholesterol and decreased HDL cholesterol. Regular physical activity can help your reverse this situation. Exercise will boost your body's HDL and lower your LDL and total cholesterol. It also aids in weight loss efforts. You should try to be physically active for at least 30 minutes on most days.
