High cholesterol usually comes from a mix of lifestyle, medical, and genetic factors that make your body produce more “bad” LDL cholesterol or clear it less effectively.
Lifestyle causes
- Eating a lot of saturated and trans fats (fatty red meats, processed meats, full‑fat dairy, fried and packaged foods) raises LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
- Lack of exercise lowers “good” HDL cholesterol and can let LDL and triglycerides rise.
- Being overweight or obese is strongly linked to higher LDL and triglycerides and lower HDL.
- Smoking damages blood vessels and lowers HDL, making cholesterol deposits more likely.
- Regular heavy alcohol use can increase total cholesterol and triglycerides.
Medical and genetic causes
- Inherited conditions like familial hypercholesterolemia cause very high LDL from birth, even with a healthy lifestyle.
- Other conditions that can raise cholesterol include diabetes, underactive thyroid, kidney disease, liver disease, obesity, and sleep apnea.
- Some medicines (for blood pressure, cancer, HIV, acne, transplants and others) can worsen cholesterol levels.
Who is at higher risk
- Older age, male sex, and a family history of early heart disease or high cholesterol increase the chance of high cholesterol.
- Long‑term stress and a generally sedentary lifestyle also contribute to higher cholesterol over time.
What you can do
- Focus on more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, fish, nuts, and healthy plant oils while cutting back on fatty meats, processed foods, and fried foods.
- Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, maintain a healthy weight, avoid smoking, and keep alcohol moderate or less.
- If you have a family history, diabetes, thyroid or kidney problems, or are on long‑term medications, regular cholesterol checks and discussing results with a doctor are important.
