High Cholesterol Causes
Article Sources
- 1. 'Why cholesterol matters.' American Heart Association, 6 Nov. 2020, https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/about-cholesterol.
- 2. Meagan Bridges, RD;David Zieve, MD, MHA. 'Facts about saturated fats' Medline Plus, 26 May 2020, https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000838.htm.
- 3. 'Trans fat is double trouble for your heart health.' Mayo Clinic, 13 Feb. 2020, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/trans-fat/art-20046114.
- 4. '5 foods that fight high cholesterol.' Harvard Health Publishing, 15 Feb. 2021, https://www.health.
- 5. 'Defining Adult Overweight and Obesity.' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/defining.html.
- 6. 'Obesity and Lipid Abnormalities Fact Sheet.' Obesity Action Coalition, https://www.obesityaction.org/wp-content/uploads/Obesity-and-Lipid-Issues-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
- 7. 'Physical Fitness Keeps Cholesterol Under Control.' Journal of the American College of Cardiology, https://www.cardiosmart.org/news/2015/5/physical-fitness-keeps-cholesterol-under-control.
- 8. Alexander Chadwick;Rebecca Holme;Yiliang Chen;et al. 'Acrolein Impairs the Cholesterol Transport Functions of High Density Lipoproteins.' US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, PLoS One, 7 Apr. 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4388475/.
- 9. 'Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH).' American Heart Association, 9 Nov. 2020, https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/causes-of-high-cholesterol/familial-hypercholesterolemia-fh.
- 10. Beth Battaglino, RN-C. 'Heart Health During Pregnancy and Beyond.' Healthy Women, 21 Sep. 2020, https://www.healthywomen.org/created-with-support/heart-health-during-pregnancy-and-beyond.
5. Smoking
Tobacco and nicotine use is another lifestyle choice with detrimental effects on health. Cigarettes contain a chemical called acrolein. Research shows that inhalation of this toxin draws it into the bloodstream where it impairs the body's ability to metabolize cholesterol.8Alexander Chadwick;Rebecca Holme;Yiliang Chen;et al. ‘Acrolein Impairs the Cholesterol Transport Functions of High Density Lipoproteins.’ US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, PLoS One, 7 Apr. 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4388475/.
Essentially, this chemical compound prevents the good HDL cholesterol from delivering bad LDL to the liver. This can lead to arterial plaque buildup, called atherosclerosis. Exposure to second-hand smoke can be detrimental in this way, as well.
