Getting to Know Cholesterol: Causes and Management

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in your blood needed to build healthy cells. Unfortunately, if you have too much of it, this increases your chance of having heart disease. Cholesterol can vary in level, as the result of some factors which can be diet, lifestyle, or genetics. 

Dr Asif Humayun is a Consultant in Diabetes & Endocrinology at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He did his specialist training at Wessex Deanery and qualified in 2004.

He is the Clinical Lead for the Department of Diabetes & Endocrinology at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS FT and Milton Keynes Integrated Diabetes Service.

Dr Humayun is widely experienced in Endocrinology and diabetes. He has actively participated in clinical research and has published a number of papers related to his areas of interest.

Further details of his research work can be found on the links below in the useful links section.

Causes of High Cholesterol

Dietary Habits:

Eating food containing more saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol will raise your cholesterol levels.

Lack of Exercise:

Not exercising or being sedentary has the effect of lowering HDL ("good") cholesterol and building up LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Genetics:

Familial hypercholesterolaemia is a genetic state of affairs that can give rise to high levels of cholesterol at birth.

Medical Conditions:

Diabetes, hypothyroidism, kidney diseases, and many other ailments can further deteriorate the condition of high cholesterol.

Age and Gender:

Cholesterol often rises with age, and before menopause, women usually have lower LDL cholesterol levels than men.

To manage your cholesterol, you must make healthy life changes: a better diet, regular exercises, and sometimes medication to keep it in check. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Cholesterol is one kind of fat carried by your blood that is required by your body to build cells and to make certain hormones. 

High cholesterol can be brought about by dietary factors, sedentary living, genetic factors, and diseases of the internal organs. 

You can lower your cholesterol by following a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking. Prescribed medications exist given by a doctor. 

Accordingly, high cholesterol can cause a buildup of plaques inside your arteries and raise the risk for heart diseases, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. 

Yes, genetic could be one of the causes of high cholesterol, in particular in familiar hypercholesterolaemia, which is a genetic type of high cholesterol that anyone is born with. 

For further consultation, book your appointment with Dr Asif Humayun for comprehensive assessment and an individualised mutually agreed management plan.