Who is at risk for high cholesterol?
There are a wide variety of different potential causes of high cholesterol, so there are a number of different people who could be at risk of it occurring. Some people may even be genetically predisposed to high cholesterol levels, which may cause it to occur earlier in life.
Some conditions may increase the risks of high cholesterol occurring, as well. You may be at a higher risk of requiring high cholesterol treatment or management solutions if you have:
- Diabetes
- Hypothyroidism
- Chronic liver disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Familial hypercholesterolemia
- HIV
- Lupus
- Sleep apnea
You may also be at a higher risk of developing high cholesterol levels if you’re overweight or obese (overweight = BMI between 27-30; obese = BMI >30).
In addition to these conditions, there are some medications used in the treatment of other conditions, which may cause high cholesterol as a side effect. These include patients who are treating:
- Acne
- High blood pressure
- HIV
- Irregular heartbeat
- Cancer
People who have recently had an organ transplant may also be taking medications that cause high cholesterol levels, so if any of these conditions are currently being treated for you, be sure your practitioner is also periodically checking your blood cholesterol levels.