High Cholesterol Causes: An Overview
What are
high cholesterol causes? Most of the time, there is no specific answer to that question. Yet while doctors and scientists do not know the specific causes, they have identified factors that can increase a person's chances of developing the condition. These factors are referred to as
high cholesterol risk factors.
What Are the Risk Factors?
Certain risk factors for high cholesterol can be controlled; others a person has no control over.
Risk factors that a person can control include:
- Diet
- Weight
- Physical activity.
Risk factors that a person cannot control include:
Diet
Saturated fat and cholesterol in food you eat make your blood
cholesterol level go up. Saturated fat is the main culprit, but cholesterol in food is also a problem. Eating too much saturated fat and cholesterol is the main reason for high levels of cholesterol and a high rate of
heart attacks in the United States. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level.
Trans fatty acids (trans fats) are made when vegetable oil is hydrogenated to harden it. Trans fatty acids also raise cholesterol levels.
Weight
Being overweight is a risk factor for
heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol levels. Losing weight can help lower your
LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and total cholesterol levels, as well as raise your
HDL ("good" cholesterol) and lower your
triglyceride levels.
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