What's high cholesterol and what are the causes?

Jen Caudle, DO, explains what cholesterol is and how it can be caused. She also gives advice on how to lower cholesterol and lead a more healthy lifestyle.

Transcript

00:00

Everyone has cholesterol in their body. The question is whether or not you have too much of the bad kind. [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:09

Cholesterol is a waxy substance made from your liver that circulates in the blood. It helps build cells and make vitamins and hormones.

00:16

There are two types of cholesterols your body naturally makes-- HDL, which is considered good cholesterol, and LDL, the bad cholesterol.

00:24

Now, too much of the bad or not enough of the good can lead to serious health problems. If you have too much LDL, then you have high cholesterol.

00:32

LDL contributes to fatty build-up in your arteries, which causes them to narrow, which may lead to heart attacks, strokes, or peripheral artery

00:39

disease. Triglycerides also contribute to high cholesterol. They're a type of fat stored in your blood. When you eat, your body converts unneeded calories

00:48

into triglycerides. Foods that is high in saturated and trans fat like meat and dairy products can cause your liver to make more LDL cholesterol than needed.

00:57

A combination of high triglyceride levels and high LDL or low HDL can also lead to the fatty build-up in the arteries.

01:04

Now, typically, high cholesterol has no symptoms. But if you experience chest pain, extreme fatigue, numbness in your extremities, or pain in the neck, jaw,

01:13

upper abdomen, or back, it may be linked to high cholesterol. High cholesterol can be caused by diabetes, high blood

01:19

pressure, not enough exercise, being obese or overweight, or having a family history of a disease.

01:25

The good news is that with certain lifestyle changes, high cholesterol can be lowered to a healthy level and stay there.