Risk Factors

Some health conditions, as well as lifestyle and genetic factors, can put people at a higher risk for developing high cholesterol. However, everyone can take steps to lower their risk of high cholesterol.

Conditions

Age

Because cholesterol tends to rise as people get older, everyone's risk for high cholesterol increases with age. Women's LDL ("bad" cholesterol) levels rise more quickly than do men's. Until around age 55, women tend to have lower LDL levels than men do. At any age, men tend to have lower HDL ("good" cholesterol) levels than women do.

Diabetes

Having diabetes can also make you more likely to develop high cholesterol. Diabetes affects the body's use of a hormone called insulin. This hormone tells the body to remove sugar from the blood. With diabetes, the body either doesn't make enough insulin, can't use its own insulin as well as it should, or both. This causes sugars to build up in the blood.

Eggs and bacon.

Behavior

While there are many things you can do to keep your cholesterol normal, some unhealthy behaviors can contribute to your risk for high cholesterol, which in turn raises your risk of heart disease.

Diet

Certain foods raise your cholesterol levels. These foods tend to contain saturated fats, trans fatty acids (trans fats), dietary cholesterol, or triglycerides.

Weight

Being overweight can raise LDL, lower HDL, and raise total cholesterol levels.

Physical Inactivity

Not getting enough exercise can make you gain weight, which can lead to increased cholesterol levels.

Heredity

High cholesterol can run in families. People who have an inherited genetic condition, called familial hypercholesterolemia, have very high LDL cholesterol levels beginning at a young age.




Reference: http://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/risk_factors.htm

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