What Is Cholesterol?
Article Sources
- 1. 'LDL & HDL: Good & Bad Cholesterol.' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/ldl/hdl.htm.
- 2. 'Causes of High Cholesterol.' Heart.org, www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/causes-of-high-cholesterol.
- 3. 'High Cholesterol Diseases: Conditions & Outcome.' Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11918-cholesterol-high-cholesterol-diseases.
- 4. 'Knowing Your Risk: High Cholesterol.' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/risk/factors.htm.
- 5. 'Triglycerides and High Cholesterol: Causes, Risks & Prevention.' Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11117-triglycerides.
4. Causes of High Cholesterol
An unhealthy lifestyle is the most common cause of high cholesterol. Consuming foods that contain saturated fats or trans fats, as well as processed foods can raise levels of LDL cholesterol.
A lack of physical exercise also results in fats not being burned to create energy, which causes a lowering of beneficial HDL cholesterol. Smoking and certain genetic conditions also lower HDL cholesterol and may result in bad fats not being utilized in a beneficial way.2‘Causes of High Cholesterol.’ Heart.org, www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/causes-of-high-cholesterol.
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