High Cholesterol

High cholesterol can be caused by:

• What you eat. Eating too much Reference saturated fat Opens New Window, Reference trans fat Opens New Window, and cholesterol can cause high cholesterol.
  • Saturated fat and cholesterol are in foods that come from animals, such as meats, whole milk, egg yolks, butter, and cheese.
  • Trans fat is found in fried foods and packaged foods, such as cookies, crackers, and chips.
• Your weight. Being overweight may increase Reference triglycerides Opens New Window and decrease Reference HDL Opens New Window (good cholesterol).
• Your activity level. Lack of physical activity can lower your HDL.
• Your age and gender. After you reach age 20, your cholesterol naturally begins to rise.
  • In men, cholesterol generally levels off after age 50.
  • In women, it stays fairly low until menopause. Then it rises to about the same level as in men.
• Some diseases. Certain diseases may raise your risk of high cholesterol. These include hypothyroidism, chronic kidney disease, and some types of liver disease.
• Your family history. High cholesterol may run in your family. If family members have or had high cholesterol, you may also have it.
• Cigarette smoking. Smoking can lower your HDL cholesterol.
• Certain medicines. Some medicines can raise triglyceride levels and lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels. These medicines include thiazide Reference diuretics Opens New Window, Reference beta-blockers Opens New Window, Reference estrogen Opens New Window, and Reference corticosteroids Opens New Window.

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