Cholesterol Causes

Cholesterol Causes

Often, cholesterol levels are high due to lifestyle choices. While an unhealthy diet, obesity, and inactivity can cause high cholesterol, sometimes high cholesterol has a genetic component and can be passed down from your parents.

Smoking - It’s a tough habit to beat, but cigarette smoking is one of the most unhealthy lifestyle choices you can make. It damages the walls of your blood vessels, which makes them more likely to accumulate fatty deposits. To add insult to injury, smoking can also lower your level of the good HDL cholesterol.

Obesity - If you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, you are at risk for high cholesterol.

Poor Diet - Foods high in cholesterol or saturated fat will increase your cholesterol levels. This includes red meat, full-fat dairy products, and trans fats, which can be found in man-made products such as crackers and cookies.

No Exercise - Inactivity has many downsides, including the potential for high cholesterol. Exercise has a multi-prong approach to improving your cholesterol levels: you lose weight, it boosts HDL "good" cholesterol and lowers LDL "bad" cholesterol.

High Blood Pressure - Increased pressure on your artery walls damages your arteries, but it also speeds up the accumulation of fatty deposits in your arteries.

Diabetes - High blood sugar also contributes to higher LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol.