Causes of High Cholesterol

Poor diet is a leading culprit when it comes to unhealthy cholesterol values. Eating a diet high in saturated fat and trans fats increases LDL and reduces HDL. Meats, eggs, and dairy products are particularly high in saturated fat, and any foods made with hydrogenated vegetable oils contain trans fats, so diets high in these items can lead to unhealthy cholesterol values.

Too much dietary cholesterol can also affect blood cholesterol levels, although each person absorbs a different amount from his or her food, depending on his or her genetic makeup. Dietary cholesterol is found almost exclusively in foods of animal origin, such as eggs, meats, and dairy.

Inactivity and other lifestyle choices, such as smoking habits, contribute to unhealthy cholesterol values as well.

Several conditions and diseases can also elevate cholesterol levels. These conditions and diseases include diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, hypercholesterolemia, kidney disease, obstructive liver disease, and familial disorders such as familial hyperlipidemia. However, only a small portion of high cholesterol cases are a result of these medical conditions.

Confounding Factors

Medical conditions that don’t cause high cholesterol, such as high blood pressure, can interact with unhealthy cholesterol levels in such a way that they increase your risk of developing CHD even more. So it is important to reduce all heart disease risk factors by treating all conditions that contribute to heart disease.