Cholesterol is a substance present in the blood that’s waxy and oily. It is of course produced by the liver and is contained in every cell of your body.
We need cholesterol to provide hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help digest food. However, cholesterol may also come from the foods we eat. If your blood incorporates an excessive amount of cholesterol, you could have high cholesterol.
It could make you more liable to cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke. Read on to grasp the various causes of high cholesterol.
Read more: The Cholesterol Diet Chart Plan, Foods to Eat and Avoid
What are the sorts of cholesterol?
The two primary sorts of cholesterol are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). High levels of LDL cholesterol negatively affect health.
Proteins within the blood carry cholesterol. Lipoproteins are a mixture of proteins and cholesterol.
High-density lipoproteins (HDL) is generally known as “good” cholesterol. This is since it tries to remove “bad” cholesterol from the blood. HDL returns excess cholesterol to the liver, which the liver breaks down so the body can excrete it.
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is generally known as “bad” cholesterol. If LDL cholesterol is excessive, it could actually construct up within the partitions of blood vessels. As a result, it narrows the arteries and clogs them, increasing the chance of a heart attack or stroke.
Triglycerides (TGL) Triglycerides, a selected fat, are also present within the blood. It is stored within the body’s fat cells. Eating unhealthy foods, a food plan high in sugar, drinking an excessive amount of alcohol, or being obese can all increase triglyceride levels.
Triglycerides may also result in narrowing of the partitions of the arteries, which increases the chance of heart disease. High triglyceride levels will be present with normal levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol.
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What causes high cholesterol?
Anyone can get high cholesterol and have many various causes. Some aspects, including lifestyle decisions, are under control; others don’t. Here are the causes of high cholesterol.
No physical activity
If you eat and do not exercise, your body cannot do away with the cholesterol that builds up and causes high cholesterol.
Exercise helps by stimulating the enzymes that move LDL cholesterol from the blood to the liver, where it’s converted to bile or excreted from the body. So the more you exercise, the more LDL your body removes.
Unhealthy eating habits
The amount of HDL and LDL cholesterol in your blood affects the sorts of fat you eat. Both trans and saturated fats result in high cholesterol.
Fatty meats, baked goods, processed foods, fried foods, and full-fat dairy products contain saturated fats.
Smoking
Smoking raises LDL cholesterol while lowering HDL cholesterol. Host tests unambiguously linked smoking to high cholesterol.
The sticky nature of LDL cholesterol is made worse by smoking. As a result, it adheres to the partitions of the arteries and eventually results in their blockage.
The likelihood of getting a heart attack or developing other heart conditions increases when an individual smokes and has high cholesterol. However, quitting smoking is nice for the center.
Stress
Chronic stress can result in high cholesterol, which increases the chance of high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and lowers HDL (“good”) cholesterol, based on tests.
That’s because stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline trigger changes that may end up in elevated blood sugar and inflammation. In addition, high cholesterol can eventually result in the liver producing more triglycerides and cholesterol.
Overweight/Obese
Numerous surveys indicate that obesity increases the chance of high triglyceride levels, which raises levels of cholesterol. Due to the increased amount of adipose tissue within the body, more free fatty acids go to the liver.
Obesity increases cardiovascular risk through increased fasting plasma triglycerides, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, etc.
Obesity can result in a rise in triglycerides, which in turn raises cholesterol. This is because adipose tissue in obese people releases more free fatty acids into the liver.
In addition to increased fasting plasma triglycerides, obesity also results in high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol, contributing to cardiovascular risk.
Type 2 diabetes
Even if you could have diabetes with controlled blood sugar levels, you possibly can still have high levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol.
Diabetic dyslipidemia is a condition that happens when an individual has diabetes, low levels of fine cholesterol, high levels of bad cholesterol, and excessive triglycerides.
Read more: Type 2 diabetes – symptoms, causes and food plan plans
In addition, LDL particles are likely to be smaller and denser in diabetic patients. This increases its potential to enter the blood vessels and form atherosclerotic plaque within the arteries.
Read more: The Type 2 Diabetes Diet – A Comprehensive Guide
Some medications
Some medications can have unexpected effects in your levels of cholesterol. Among them are several contraception pills, retinoids, corticosteroids, antivirals and anticonvulsants.
Diuretics and older versions of beta-blockers are two examples of hypertension medications that may also increase levels of cholesterol.
Menopause
Estrogen levels affect levels of cholesterol. After menopause, when estrogen levels drop, levels of cholesterol rise. Tests shows that LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol increase before and after the last period.
In addition, women gain 8 to 10 kilos after menopause, which also increases the possibilities of high cholesterol because of lack of exercise.
Age
As we age, our levels of cholesterol are likely to increase. This increased risk of heart disease is because of several aspects, including medications, hormone levels, physical activity, and changes in body composition.
Hypothyroidism
Thyroid hormones help the body to remove excess cholesterol. Therefore, hypothyroidism or hypothyroidism increases total and LDL levels of cholesterol within the body.
Read more: Thyroid Diet Chart – Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid
Kidney disease
Your cholesterol level may increase if you could have kidney problems. investigations indicate that nephrotic syndrome, a variety of kidney disorder, raises LDL and total levels of cholesterol.
Liver disease
Liver dysfunction can affect levels of cholesterol since the liver produces, processes, and breaks down cholesterol. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which occurs when extra fat is deposited within the liver, is one of the crucial widespread diseases.
Read more: Fatty liver food plan – basic guidelines to follow
The more severe type is generally known as NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis). NASH causes cirrhosis of the liver, causing swelling and scarring of the liver.
Drinking Excess Alcohol
Alcohol doesn’t contain cholesterol, but it could actually affect levels of cholesterol. This is since the body breaks down alcohol into triglycerides, which may raise LDL cholesterol.
High sugar food plan
Your liver produces more LDL cholesterol and triglycerides if you eat a number of sugar. Therefore, not only saturated fat, but in addition an excessive amount of sugar is the wrongdoer that raises cholesterol.
Read more: The Sugar Diet – Sugar Detox Insights
Familial hypercholesterolaemia
Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disease. Significantly raises the extent of LDL cholesterol. This condition could cause heart attacks, coronary artery disease, etc. at a young age.
Application
Making lifestyle changes is step one to lowering your blood levels of cholesterol.
Lowering elevated levels of cholesterol is important to avoid several potentially serious problems. Talk to your doctor or health care skilled for recommendations on medications which will help.
