People are often surprised to find out they have high cholesterol, so our Cholesterol Helpline is often asked this question.
What can cause high cholesterol?
Diet and lifestyle can affect the amount of fat in our blood and the way it circulates around the body. All of the following can either increase your cholesterol level or affect the ratio of good to bad cholesterol:
- eating a diet high in saturated fat
- not being physically active
- being overweight or obese
- smoking
- having a large waist circumference.
Sometimes the way we live our life can affect how our genetic makeup is expressed. For example a diet high in saturated fat or being overweight may help “switch on" certain genes that increase cholesterol levels.
By making significant changes to your diet, you should see at least a modest reduction in your cholesterol levels within 3-4 weeks. It is important to stick to these initial changes and perhaps build on them in order to keep your cholesterol low. It can take up to 3 or even 6 months to establish new dietary habits.
Secondary causes:
Some medical conditions and prescribed medicines can affect your cholesterol levels too. If you are worried this is the case, talk to your GP or speak to our Cholesterol Helpline. In particular, the following are a common cause of unhealthy blood fats (cholesterol and triglyceride levels) and should be looked into and ruled out:- type 2 diabetes
- underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroid)
- kidney problems
- liver problems
- alcohol intake
Drugs which most commonly raise cholesterol include some diuretics, steroid hormones, immuno-suppressants, beta-blockers, and antidepressants. If you are on any of these drugs your doctor will monitor your cholesterol and may have to adjust your treatment to help keep your cholesterol under control.
Other reasons: cholesterol levels naturally increase as we get older and following the menopause, women may find their cholesterol levels increase.
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