Types, causes and symptoms

Being informed is your first step towards lowering your cholesterol.

At normal levels, there is nothing wrong with having cholesterol in your body. In fact, 'good' (HDL) cholesterol is an essential nutrient for normal bodily functioning, including the production of bile. Cholesterol is only a problem when you have high levels of 'bad' (LDL) cholesterol in your body.

Causes of high cholesterol
Many people naturally make too much cholesterol. However, high levels of cholesterol are also associated with lifestyle factors, such as a diet high in saturated fat, excessive alcohol use, lack of exercise and obesity.

High cholesterol has also been linked to medications, including oestrogen, testosterone, oral steroids and blood pressure medications i.e. diuretics. It can also be a side effect of conditions such as hypothyroidism (when your thyroid gland produces too little thyroxine), diabetes, liver disease and kidney failure. If you have any concerns about your cholesterol and medications you are taking, you may want to discuss these with your doctor.

Symptoms of high cholesterol
High cholesterol has no symptoms. Many people only discover they have it during a routine test.

View graphic depictions of high cholesterol

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