Causes of High Cholesterol

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Causes of High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance (lipid) that the body needs for many important functions, such as producing new cells. However, if a person's cholesterol levels are too high, he or she will have a greater risk of developing life-threatening diseases, such as coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.

High cholesterol is caused by eating a diet too high in cholesterol and saturated fat or by having an inherited condition that causes elevated cholesterol levels:

Some risk factors can be controlled; others can't.

• Controllable risk factors include some medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypothyroidism, and diet. Being overweight, smoking, not exercising, and eating a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol can cause high LDL, low HDL, and increased triglycerides.

• Uncontrollable risk factors include a genetic condition called a lipid disorder, which can cause very high cholesterol levels in your blood. Your age and gender are other risk factors you cannot control. After age 20, cholesterol levels naturally begin to rise. Men have higher cholesterol levels than women until women reach age 50 or so, when their cholesterol levels rise. After puberty, women have higher levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol than men.

• There are also secondary causes of high cholesterol, such as medications and medical conditions.

Treatment includes eating a more healthful diet, increasing physical activity, and possibly taking medications or cholesterol-lowering supplements.

A blood test can determine whether you have high cholesterol. Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L).