Naturally, our body needs cholesterol to help generate healthy cells, but increased cholesterol levels can increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases. People with high cholesterol often have fatty deposits blocking their blood vessels that often affect the normal flow of blood. In some cases, these fatty deposits can break and form into clots that can result in various heart problems. To fully understand how high cholesterol can affect your overall health, you will be required to work closely with your healthcare provider. In this guide, we will look at the possible risk factors for Rockville cholesterol. Several factors can cause your body’s cholesterol levels to increase. They include:
Diet
Eating foods with saturated fat can make result in high blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat is usually the main cause of cardiovascular complications, such as stroke and heart attacks. You are advised to lower the amount of saturated fat in your meals to help manage your body’s cholesterol levels. Some of the foods with elevated levels of saturated fats include; dairy products, deep-fried meals, chocolate, meat, artificial foods, and baked products.
Being overweight
Obesity can also cause your blood cholesterol levels to rise. It also increases your risk of heart problems by affecting the normal functioning of your blood vessels. Losing excess weight can prove to be very effective in lowering your cholesterol levels.
Limited physical activity
Being active can also raise your blood cholesterol levels and can cause you to gain excess body weight. Most healthcare providers often recommend you be at least physically active for thirty minutes daily.
Excessive smoking and chewing tobacco
Tobacco products can contribute to a rise in your cholesterol levels and even cause damage to some of your body organs.
Genetics
High cholesterol levels can also be inherited, where your family members’ genes can cause you to have similar cholesterol levels. If your family has a medical history of raised blood cholesterol levels, you are at a greater risk of having the same health problems. High cholesterol levels have been commonly diagnosed among patients aged 40 and 60. This is because your body’s metabolism is altered with age, which can potentially increase your risk of high blood cholesterol. Various reports have also indicated that men are at a greater health risk of high cholesterol levels than women.
Medications
Certain medications can raise your cholesterol levels, such as Chemotherapy medicines, Arrhythmia medicines, Beta-blockers, Steroids, Immunosuppressive medicines, and Retinoids. Additionally, some races are more likely to have raised blood cholesterol levels than others. Whites typically have less LDL and HDL blood cholesterol levels than African Americans. Some pre-existing medical conditions, such as HIV infection, chronic kidney disease, PCOS, sleep apnea, diabetes, and hypothyroidism, can increase your risk of developing high cholesterol levels.
At normal healthy levels, your blood cholesterol is a vital substance in your body. Cholesterol is naturally present in each body cell and has various essential body functions such as hormone production, food digestion, and synthesis of vitamin D. However, if your body’s cholesterol levels are raised too high, it can increase your risk of experiencing chronic health complications such as heart attack. If you experience high cholesterol levels, you are advised to seek medical attention from your healthcare provider.
