There is good news and bad news. For most people, the cause of high cholesterol is our own poor decisions such as diet and our level of exercise, most of which are open to modification. We cannot exercise control over all of the causes as some, like age, gender and genetic makeup are determined at birth. Some people are dealt a lucky hand with regard to those, but the majority of us must make an effort to control high cholesterol, particularly as we get older.
Men can be inclined toward high levels of cholesterol in their teens while women are at greater risk resulting from menopause, hinting at a hormonal relationship. However, both men and women can resolve to attain and maintain a normal level of cholesterol at all ages, get their levels checked and take swift action if advised to. Depending on your personal situation, you may want to consider medication.
Your inherited health history is passed down to you in the genes, consequently, if past or present family members have been affected by high cholesterol, you could also have a predisposition to the same. This situation can often be managed through medication, but you normally must be on the drug(s) for life and there are negative side effects. Keeping that in mind, unless your cholesterol numbers are in the red zone, you should do your best to make the other changes first.
Excess body fat plays a hefty role in the cause of high cholesterol as, on its own, without any separate risk factors, it raises the levels of cholesterol and unwanted fats in the bloodstream. Therefore, it is imperative to keep your weight under control at all times.
Winning the Battle Against High Cholesterol
Excess body weight plays a big role in the cause of high cholesterol and there are two tools which are extremely effective remedies against it. If we pay more attention to the way we eat, as well as exercising moderately and regularly, we can lower the levels of bad cholesterol, maintain it at a healthy level and vastly improve our cardiovascular health while also dramatically reducing our risks of illness and death. Getting your lipid levels checked in a quick and easy blood test, as recommended for your age or health status, and resolving to make some fairly simple lifestyle changes, can add many happier, more active years to your life.
Risk Factors For Acquiring Heart Problems Cholesterol awareness has become a very popular topic over the past 10 years or so. It seems that once we reach age 40, we are all tracking our cholesterol numbers as close as we watch our waist lines. Unfortunately both seem to increase after 40.
Finding Out About Cholesterol The waxy substance in the human body known as cholesterol comes primarily in two basic forms, HDL and LDL. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is often referred to as the good cholesterol, while LDL, or low density lipoprotein, is the undesirable form of cholesterol.