A variety of things can affect the cholesterol levels in the blood. Some of these things can be controllable and others cannot.
Controllable Cholesterol cause
- Certain foods we eat have some fats that raise the cholesterol level.
- o Saturated fat raises the LDL cholesterol level more than anything else in the diet does.
- o When vegetable oil is hydrogenating to harden it, cause Tran’s fats. Tran’s fats raise cholesterol levels.
- o High cholesterol sources are egg yolks, meat, and cheese.
- Body weight - overweight tends to increases the LDL level and lowers the HDL level, and increases the total cholesterol level.
- Physical activity – regular physical activity or exercise can help to lower the LDL level and help to raise the HDL level.
Uncontrollable Cholesterol cause
- Heredity or genetics - Hyperlipidemia is running in the family. A genetic condition (familial hypercholesterolemia) results in very high LDL cholesterol levels. It starts at birth, and may result in a heart-attack at a young age.
- Age and sex - from puberty, men have lower levels of HDL than women do. As women and men get older, their LDL cholesterol levels slowly rise. Women before menopause have lower LDL cholesterol levels when compare with men but after menopause women have higher levels of LDL cholesterol than a man does.