High Blood Cholesterol - Risk Factors - Risk Factors

Your risk for high blood cholesterol may be higher because of your age, family history and genetics, race or ethnicity, or sex.

Age

Unhealthy levels of cholesterol can affect people of all ages, even young children. However, high cholesterol is most commonly diagnosed in people between the ages of 40 and 59. As you age, your body’s metabolism changes. Your liver does not remove “bad” LDL cholesterol as well as it did when you were young. These normal changes may increase your risk for developing high blood cholesterol as you get older.

Family history and genetics

Family members usually have similar cholesterol levels. This suggests that your genes can raise your risk of having unhealthy cholesterol levels.

In addition, your genes may raise your risk for another type of “bad” cholesterol. High levels of lipoprotein-a, also called Lp(a), may mean you are at high risk of heart or blood vessel diseases, even if your other cholesterol levels are healthy. Genes determine how much Lp(a) you have. Your Lp(a) level is unlikely to change much from childhood to old age.

Lp(a) is not usually part of a routine lipid panel. Your doctor may order an Lp(a) test if you have a family history of early heart or blood vessel disease, such as heart attack, or do not know your family medical history. If you have a high Lp(a) level, your doctor may prescribe a Statins to prevent heart and blood vessel disease, even if your other cholesterol levels are in the healthy range.

Race or ethnicity

Your race or ethnicity may affect your risk of high blood cholesterol.

• Overall, non-Hispanic white people are more likely than other groups to have high levels of total cholesterol.
• Asian Americans, including those of Indian, Filipino, Japanese, and Vietnamese descent, are more likely to have high levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol than other groups.
• Hispanic Americans are more likely to have lower levels of “good” HDL cholesterol than other groups.
• African Americans are more likely than other groups to have high levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. However, they are more likely to have other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, obesity, or diabetes, that may overcome the health benefit of higher HDL levels.

Sex

Between the ages of 20 and 39, men have a greater risk for high total cholesterol than women. Women are more likely to have high blood cholesterol than men at other ages. Women usually have higher levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.

Conditions and medicines that may raise a woman’s risk for high blood cholesterol include:

• Birth control pills. However, not all types of birth control pills affect cholesterol levels, and the effect is not very strong.
• Menopause, which lowers levels of female hormones that may protect against high blood cholesterol. After menopause, women’s levels of total and “bad” LDL cholesterol usually go up, while their levels of “good” HDL cholesterol go down.
• Pregnancy may cause your total cholesterol levels to rise, but usually not enough to cause problems for you or your unborn baby. Usually, cholesterol levels return to normal after pregnancy.