Causes of high cholesterol

Many people believe that the main causes of high cholesterol include eating too many cholesterol rich foods along with bad luck. It is interesting to discover then, that eating too much saturated and trans fat is the main cause of high cholesterol.


While cholesterol rich foods can raise blood cholesterol levels, research suggests that it is not to the same extent as saturated fat and trans fat.


Other factors that can affect your cholesterol levels


Diabetes

If blood sugar levels are consistently high, this can increase cholesterol levels and accelerate the process of atherosclerosis – whereby the arteries are narrowed from fatty deposits.

In turn, an increased rate of atherosclerosis increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. It is important for diabetics to maintain healthy diet and lifestyle practices.


Being overweight or obese

People who are overweight or obese tend to have higher cholesterol levels, especially if they have excess fat around the waist and abdomen. This is generally known as "central obesity".

The World Health Organization suggests that central obesity is present if waist circumference is 102cm or greater in men, and 88cm or greater in women.


Genetics

High cholesterol tends to run in families. Other factors which may affect cholesterol levels also tend to run in families, for example high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Having said that, bad eating habits also run in families!

One of the key causes of high cholesterol (or at least a contributing factor) for some people are certain genetic conditions which run in families. For example, some people have a condition known as familial hypercholesterolemia, which is characterized by abnormally high cholesterol levels.


Physical Activity

Physical activity allows your body to use sugars and fats for fuel, and assists in maintaining a healthy weight. Being active can help control cholesterol levels, and other factors which may contribute to high cholesterol i.e. assists with diabetes control, helps lower blood pressure etc. An added bonus is that exercise can strengthen the heart muscle, and keep the arteries supple.


Gender

Being male in itself isn't one of the main causes of high cholesterol, however, men are more likely to have high cholesterol earlier in life. In women, estrogen appears to have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels by increasing HDL cholesterol and reducing LDL cholesterol. After menopause, cholesterol levels in women tend to increase as a result of reduced estrogen.


Age

Being older is associated with higher cholesterol levels. One of the reasons for this is that older people tend to be less active, and are more likely to have some of these other factors (such as high BP and diabetes) that can contribute to high cholesterol levels.


Some of the factors listed above are things beyond your control! For example, you can't change your age (although some people try) and you can't change your genetics (yet!).

The things you can change to reduce your risk of getting high cholesterol, or to help lower your levels, are your weight status (if overweight), diabetes control, physical activity levels and diet.

There is also some research to suggest that high cholesterol is linked to:

• alcohol abuse
• thyroid problems

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