High cholesterol poses a health risk because it causes vascular deposits and promotes cardiovascular disease. An unhealthy lifestyle is not always responsible for increased blood lipids – certain diseases can also disrupt your lipid metabolism.
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What is cholesterol?
The lipid molecule cholesterol is a component of many hormones and is found in our cell membrane. Cholesterol is divided into “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which accumulates in the arterial walls as plaque. This leads to narrowing, which impairs blood circulation. Such hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis) cannot guarantee the transport of oxygen and nutrients as usual. Consequently, the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure increasesto. Since any blood vessel can be affected by arteriosclerosis, there can also be a lack of supply in the arteries of the brain or heart. In severe cases, there can be a risk of a stroke or heart attack.
Cholesterol is mostly produced by the body itself, we ingest a small part through food. Above all, an unhealthy lifestyle causes our blood lipid levels to rise. These include an unbalanced diet, lack of exercise, smoking and obesity. But certain diseases can also cause our cholesterol levels to rise.
These diseases increase your cholesterol
Various diseases can disrupt lipid metabolism, resulting in increased LDL cholesterol levels. These include the following diseases.
