Several factors can affect your cholesterol levels. Some of these factors cannot be changed, but some can be changed. Many of the same factors that cause unhealthy cholesterol levels are also risk factors for heart disease, regardless of your cholesterol levels.
If you have unhealthy cholesterol levels and you also have other risk factors for heart disease, your risk for heart attack and stroke increases. It's important to know all your risk factors for unhealthy cholesterol and for heart disease, so you can take steps to manage the things you can change.
Major Risk Factors You Cannot Change
Age: Levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) tend to rise as you age and so does your risk of developing heart disease. Bad cholesterol is the prime culprit in the build up of plaque in the artery walls. This plaque gets bigger over the years, increasing your chance of having a heart attack or other cardiovascular problems as you get older.
Gender: Heart disease is more common in younger men than in younger women. However, in women the prevalence of heart disease increases after menopause.
Many women find that their levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides (trī-glis-er-īdes) increase after menopause. At the same time, levels of good cholesterol (HDL) tend to go down. This combination of high bad cholesterol, low good cholesterol and high triglycerides increases the risk of heart disease.
Family History: You are more likely to get heart disease if you have a family history of heart disease. For example, some people have inherited the tendency to have very high bad cholesterol and have a high risk of heart attack even when relatively young. African Americans are also at greater risk than others of developing heart disease.
Major Risk Factors You Can Change or Treat
Lifestyle: Factors related to lifestyle and environment can affect your cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease. Learn more about the risk factors you can change and how they affect your heart health in Managing Risk.
Managing Risk Factors: To improve your unhealthy levels of cholesterol and triglycerides your doctor may recommend diet, excercise and/or cholesterol lowering medication. Click on the following links to get in-depth information about each risk factor below.