High Cholesterol

Your body needs cholesterol to function properly; high cholesterol, however, can cause health problems. It can cause a condition called atherosclerosis, the effects of which include coronary heart disease, angina, and stroke. Although the causes of high cholesterol are often unknown, risk factors include diet, weight, and heredity. If lifestyle changes alone are not enough, medication may be necessary to lower cholesterol.

 

What Is High Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a type of fat that is made in your body. It is also in some foods that you eat. Your body needs some cholesterol to work the right way; however, if too much cholesterol gets into your blood, it can cause problems. This is known as high cholesterol. High cholesterol is also known as:
 
  • Hypercholesterolemia
  • Hyperlipidemia.
 

Causes of High Cholesterol

Your blood
 cholesterol level is affected not only by what you eat, but also by how quickly your body makes cholesterol and gets rid of it. In fact, your body makes most of the cholesterol it needs, and it is not necessary to take in any additional cholesterol from the foods you eat.
 
So then how do you get high cholesterol? Unfortunately, most of the time, there is no specific answer to that question. Yet while doctors and scientists do not know the specific causes of high cholesterol, they have identified certain factors that can increase a person's chances of developing it. These factors include:
 
  • Diet
  • Weight
  • Physical activity
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Heredity.

 

(Click Causes of High Cholesterol for more information.)

 

Symptoms and Effects of High Cholesterol

High cholesterol itself does not cause symptoms, so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is too high. What high cholesterol does do is increase your risk for developing certain medical conditions, including heart disease or having a heart attack.
 
Too much cholesterol in the blood can be serious. But the effects of high cholesterol do not occur after days or weeks or even months. High cholesterol levels cause these serious problems over many years.
 
The effects of high cholesterol are due to a condition called atherosclerosis, which is narrowing and hardening of arteries. Because atherosclerosis can affect any blood vessel in the body, the effects of high cholesterol due to atherosclerosis include:
 

 

(Click High Cholesterol Symptoms or Effects of High Cholesterol for more information.)

 

Testing for High Cholesterol

The only way to find out if you have high cholesterol is to have a blood cholesterol test. According to recent guidelines, a person should get a fasting cholesterol test every five years. People with risk factors for heart disease should get a cholesterol test more frequently.
 
Currently, there are several types of cholesterol tests available. Each test examines different components of cholesterol and fats in the blood, including:
 
  • Total cholesterol
  • Low density lipoprotein (LDL) -- this is the "bad" cholesterol
  • High density lipoprotein (HDL) -- this is the "good" cholesterol
  • Triglycerides.
 
Some cholesterol tests -- such as a lipid profile done at the doctor's office -- will look at all four components. Other tests (like most home cholesterol tests) only look at total cholesterol. Some cholesterol tests also provide a cholesterol ratio or VLDL (very low denisty lipoprotein) as part of their results.
 
(Click Cholesterol Levels for information on what are considered healthy cholesterol levels.)
 

Lowering High Cholesterol

The main goal of high cholesterol treatment is to lower your LDL cholesterol levels enough to reduce your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. The higher your risk, the lower your LDL goal will be.
 
(Click High Cholesterol Risk to see what your risk is and what your LDL cholesterol level should be under.)
 
Lowering cholesterol begins with lifestyle changes. If lifestyle changes do not lower cholesterol to a desirable level, cholesterol medication may be necessary.
 
For most people, living with high cholesterol is a lifelong journey.
 

High Cholesterol Diet

Eating a heart-healthy diet is not only about limiting high cholesterol foods; it's also about limiting foods high in saturated fats and trans fat. Eating smart begins by learning about reading food labels and being aware of different types of fat and cholesterol in foods you eat.
 
For those with high cholesterol, if a heart-healthy diet does not lower cholesterol enough, your healthcare provider may recommend increasing the soluble fiber and/or adding other cholesterol-lowering foods to your diet.
 
(Click Low Cholesterol Diet for more information about a diet that is low in high cholesterol foods and fats.)
 
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD