Causes of high cholesterol

High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a substance in the fats of your blood, which is necessary for normal cell formation. In case the level of cholesterol is higher than it should be, you may be at risk to have too much fat in the blood. This condition can be dangerous because it affects the normal blood flow. Your blood supplies your body with oxygen so proper circulation is very important for your health. Without enough oxygen in the heart, or brain, you increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, which are life threatening conditions. Since high cholesterol can be without symptoms, you should have your blood tested on regular bases.

Causes

There are a lot of things which can cause high cholesterol. If your family members have high cholesterol, it is likely that you will have it as well. As you age, you become more prone to high cholesterol. This is especially true in case of women. High cholesterol levels in young women are rare, but after menopause the risk of high cholesterol significantly increases. These causes and risk factors cannot be avoided. However, many other causes can be avoided with healthy lifestyle. One of such causes of high cholesterol is obesity. If you are obese or even overweight, your blood flow is decreased because of fat in the blood. Eating unhealthy food is another major cause of high cholesterol. Red meat, eggs, diary products with fat and products which contain saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol also causes high cholesterol. People who smoke have damaged blood vessels which make it easier for fat to accumulate in the blood. Inactivity can be the cause of high cholesterol as well. Certain health conditions can also put you at risk of having high level of cholesterol. These conditions include diabetes and high blood pressure, because they can damage tour blood vessels.

Complications

If left untreated, high cholesterol can cause severe damage to your blood vessels, which will impair your circulation. Some of the severe complications which can be a consequence of high cholesterol include heart diseases and stroke. Both of them are life-threatening, so high cholesterol should be taken seriously.

Prevention

You can do a lot to prevent accumulation of fat in your blood. It is recommended to exercise regularly and eat healthy. This will improve your overall health and help you get rid excess weight. Maintaining normal weight is very important, if you want to reduce the risk of high cholesterol. Besides proper diet and exercises, you should stop smoking and avoid drinking alcohol as much as you can.