| Causes of high cholesterol vary depends on the lifestyle, gender or the heritage of the individual. Each one of us can do certain things to live healthier, longer lives. One of those choices includes maintaining cholesterol at the right level. However, the truth is even young, thin, physically fit people can have high levels of cholesterol, although chances of higher levels increase due to certain factors. Lifestyle management can change some of these factors while others require a more aggressive approach to include Cholesterol lowering medication. Weight Americans weigh more now than all of the past ten years combined. With busy careers and children's heavy extra-curricular activities, our tendency is to grab something quick while rushing out the door. While this is convenient and makes life easier for the moment, the long-term effects of a poor diet can be devastating. Carrying around excess weight generally increases the level of "bad" cholesterol. One solution is to work directly with your physician or a dietician to first determine what the ideal weight is for your frame and age, and then choose a sensible plan to direct you to the kinds of food that help reduce your cholesterol. Diet As stated at the beginning of this site, avoiding foods made from saturated fats - coming from animals - is an essential line of defense in fighting high cholesterol. When buying cooking oils, look for unsaturated or vegetable fats. You should also use low fat cooking sprays in place of heavy oils whenever possible.
Regular exercise is an excellent way to lower cholesterol and keeps your body in the best functioning capacity. To have positive benefit, exercise does not mean you have to run 10 miles a day and live in a gym six days a week. What it does mean, is that 20 minutes of aerobic type exercise, which includes walking, done on a daily basis, gives you the needed boost for lowering cholesterol. Age and Gender Cholesterol levels begin increasing for both men and women as age goes up. Women generally have a lower level than men do between the age of 50 and 55. However, once a woman starts into menopause, the natural occurrence is that the cholesterol level starts to increase. Heritage The truth is that family genes play a big role in many aspects of a person's health to include the amount of cholesterol you might have to deal with. If you have a parent that has had to battle with high levels of cholesterol, your chances of following in their footsteps is high. If your physician has determined that you have a high level of cholesterol, do some research to determine if other members of your family have this problem. Ask what medications or therapies they have had success with. More than likely, that same method will help you. When you meet with your physician, take your family history along with any proven medications and/or therapies for them to review.
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