High blood cholesterol levels, or hypercholesterolemia can be caused by many factors; some of which you can control and some which you can not. When your total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol levels get too high, your risk for heart disease rises with it. To help prevent complications, it's important to make healthy lifestyle choices and control the risk factors that you can.
Genetics
Cholesterol is a substance that the body makes that is found in foods. The body needs some cholesterol to survive, but the body makes all that it needs. However, if you're born with a mutation in the APOB, LDLR, LDLRAP1 or PCSK9 genes, you may develop high blood cholesterol, says the National Institute of Health. The most common genetic condition that leads to hypercholesterolemia is familial hypercholesterolemia, which occurs due to a mutation in the LDLR gene. The LDLR gene is responsible for controlling the level of LDL, or low density lipoproteins in the body. When this gene is mutated, LDL levels can become too high. LDL is considered the "bad" cholesterol, because it's stored in the body. While less common, mutations to the APOB, LDLRAP1 or PCSK9 can cause high cholesterol levels because genes that aren't functioning properly prevent the body from removing cholesterol from the blood.
Diet
The food you eat plays a large role in how high your cholesterol levels are. To protect against high cholesterol levels, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends limiting cholesterol and saturated fat intake. Too much cholesterol and saturated fat in your diet can cause your total cholesterol count and levels of LDL cholesterol to get too high. A general goal is to consume no more than 200 to 300 mg of cholesterol each day, and saturated fats should make up no more than 7 percent of your total daily caloric intake. Limiting consumption of whole dairy products, eggs, fatty meats and fried foods will help keep your cholesterol levels in check. In addition, trans fats which are created during the hydrogenation of oils found in commercial goods should make up no more than 1 percent of your total daily caloric intake. Trans fats are found in baked goods, cookies, crackers and fried foods.
Obesity
Along with the type of food you eat, the amount of food you eat can also lead to high cholesterol levels. Being overweight or obese can raise your cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease even if there are no other risk factors present, reports the American Heart Association. The risk is even higher if you're carrying your extra pounds around your midsection. Too much abdominal fat is linked to a higher risk of high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. You are considered overweight if your body mass index is between 25 to 29.9; obesity is diagnosed when BMI climbs to 30 or 39.9, and a BMI of 40 or higher is considered morbidly obese. In addition, men should aim to keep their waist measurement at 40 inches or less, and women to 35 inches or less.
Lack of Exercise
Being sedentary can also contribute to high cholesterol levels. Individuals who are sedentary tend to be heavier, which raises the risk. While a lack of exercise can make your cholesterol levels rise, becoming more active can lower total cholesterol level, lower LDL cholesterol level and raise high density lipoprotein, or HDL levels which are the "good" cholesterol. To protect against disease, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on most days of the week.
