Does high cholesterol cause weight gain or metabolic issues?

High cholesterol levels don’t actually cause weight gain, but there is a strong connection between unmanaged high cholesterol and metabolic health issues, including weight gain; especially when you also have metabolic syndrome.

Conversely, weight gain can lead directly to high cholesterol. This is because when your body is carrying excess weight (particularly visceral fat around your organs), it can lead to:

• Lower HDL levels (good cholesterol)
• Higher LDL levels and triglycerides (bad cholesterol and fats)
• Increased risk of experiencing both heart disease and type 2 diabetes