High Cholesterol Causes Research Note
By Reader's Digest Editors
A brief digest about this topic
Your cholesterol is considered high if your total cholesterol is over 200 mg/dL or if your LDLs are above the healthy range (below 130 mg/dL for most people, below 100 mg/dL if you’re at high risk for heart disease). High LDLs increase your risk for heart attacks and strokes. Causes you can control include a diet packed with saturated fat (in cheese, butter, ice cream and fatty meats); a wide waistline (a sign of dangerous abdominal fat); a low-exercise lifestyle; and smoking. Causes you can’t control include aging, being a man or a postmenopausal woman, and inheriting LDL-raising genes.
Fast Facts:- Eating lots of saturated fat gives your body an overabundance of raw materials for producing LDL cholesterol. Cutting back lowers LDLs.
- A wide waistline—over 35 inches for women, 40 for men—increases levels of oxidized LDLs, which become heart-threatening plaque.
- Spending most of the day sitting--at your desk, in your car and on the couch—contributes, too. Moving more lowers LDLs 3 to 16 points.
- LDLs over 200 and/or, total cholesterol over 300 are warning signs of inherited high cholesterol. You may need a cholesterol-lowering medication.
- Not knowing—or acting on—your cholesterol numbers is another cause of high cholesterol. Get checked every 5 years, take healthy steps as needed.
Cholesterol
americanheart.org — “Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells. It's an important part of a healthy body because it's used to form cell membranes, some hormones and other needed tissues.” View full resource at americanheart.org
7 Causes of High Cholesterol - MSN Health & Fitness - Cholesterol
health.msn.com — “Things to look out for.” View full resource at health.msn.com
What is Cholesterol? What Causes High Cholesterol?
medicalnewstoday.com — “Cholesterol is a fat (lipid) which is produced by the liver and is crucial for normal body functioning. Cholesterol exists in the outer layer of every cell in our body and has many function” View full resource at medicalnewstoday.com
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