High Cholesterol Levels – Are You at Risk?

High Cholesterol Levels – Are You at Risk?

While many people believe that high cholesterol levels are caused by their diet, there are actually quite a few different factors that contribute to high cholesterol. Some of these factors cannot be controlled by you, but there are some other factors that you do have some control over. So, it is important that you are familiar with all the factors that can contribute to high cholesterol. Once you know the various factors, you’ll be able to be aware of your risk and you’ll be able to do some work to change the factors that are within your power to do so.

A Few Risk Factors You Can’t Control
There are several risk factors that are totally out of your control. While they are out of your control, it is still important that you are familiar with them so that you are aware of whether or not you have any of these risk factors.

-    Family History – Believe it or not, family history is one of the main risk factors for high cholesterol that you cannot control. Not only do you get physical traits like hair color and eye color from your family, but you also are given predisposition for some diseases. So, if other people in your family have had high cholesterol problems, you are at risk for it as well.

-    Gender – Your gender can also be a risk factor for elevated cholesterol problems. Statistics show that men are usually more likely to have problems with cholesterol than women are. However, after women get over the age of 50, they are more likely to have cholesterol problems, since their cholesterol levels begin to increase at this point in their life.

-    Age – Age also is a risk factor for high cholesterol. Once women get over the age of 55 they are more likely to have problems and men are at a higher risk once they pass the age of 45.

-    Race – Most people don’t realize that their race can also be a risk factor for having high cholesterol as well. People who are of the African American race are more likely to have problems with their cholesterol than Caucasians tend to have.

Risk Factors You Can Control
Although there are several different risk factors that you have no control over, there are some other factors that can be controlled. The following are a few factors that you can control yourself if you are trying to avoid having high cholesterol levels.

-    Diet – One big risk factor that you do have control over is your diet. Usually about 20% of your cholesterol comes from the food you eat, so eating a diet high in cholesterol can elevate your cholesterol levels. If you are eating an unhealthy diet, you have the power to change that so you don’t have to worry about high cholesterol.

-    Smoking – Smoking is another risk factor for high cholesterol and you can control this as well. While smoking does not directly elevate your levels of bad cholesterol, it does lower the levels of good cholesterol, which contributes to higher numbers when it comes to bad cholesterol levels. So, cut out smoking and you’ll improve your cholesterol levels.

-    Weight – Your weight is a big factor when it comes to having high cholesterol as well. If you just took the time and put in the effort to lose about 10% of your body weight, you could really improve your cholesterol. While losing weight is not always easy, doing it can improve your levels of bad cholesterol and your health as a whole.

-    Level of Activity – People who are inactive have a higher risk of getting high cholesterol at some point in their life. When you exercise on a regular basis you actually lower the amount of bad cholesterol and you also increase the amount of good cholesterol in your blood.

There are many risk factors for high cholesterol levels, and while you can change some of them, not all of them can be controlled. However, it is important that you work to control the risk factors that you can to try and avoid having cholesterol problems in the future.