What Causes High Blood Cholesterol?

There are lots of different factors which can contribute to high blood cholesterol, including family history, lifestyle (diet, physical activity, obesity, drinking, and smoking), age and ethnicity. Sometimes it can also be triggered by some secondary causes which increase your cholesterol level. Lets take a look at some of the causes of high blood cholesterol:

Family History

If close relatives, such parents, brothers or sisters, have familial hypercholesterolemia (the medical term for high cholesterol that runs in the family) can cause high cholesterol. Which is not caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, but by genetics.

Uncontrolled Diet

An unhealthy diet is one of the most common causes of high blood cholesterol. Eating a diet that includes too much-saturated fat, trans fat and full-fat dairy products can lead to high cholesterol level.

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Lack of Physical activity

Lack of exercise or physical activity can increase the level of cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) in blood vessels. Some studies suggest that regular physical activity can reduce LDL, reverse cholesterol transport to liver and absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine.   

Obesity

People who are overweight, are likely to have higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) and a lower level of high-density lipoprotein.

Alcohol Consumption

Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can increase cholesterol level.

Smoking

Acrolein (a chemical found in tobacco) stops high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol) from transporting fatty deposits to the liver, leading to narrowing of the arteries.

Age

The risk of narrowing arteries increases with age.

Ethnic Group

People from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have an increased risk of high blood cholesterol.

Other Causes Of High Blood Cholesterol

Some underlying health conditions may also raise your cholesterol level. These conditions include diabetes, liver or kidney disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, pregnancy, under-active thyroid and drugs that increase LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol.