Reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level. Foods that have high levels of saturated fats include some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, and deep-fried and processed foods.

Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL bad cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. It also raises your HDL good cholesterol level. Physical Activity.

Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL bad cholesterol and raise HDL good cholesterol levels.

It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days. Cigarette smoking lowers your HDL good cholesterol. HDL helps to remove bad cholesterol from your arteries. So a lower HDL can contribute to a higher level of bad cholesterol.

Things outside of your control that can also affect cholesterol levels include: Age and Sex. As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.

After the age of menopause, women's LDL bad cholesterol levels tend to rise. Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High blood cholesterol can run in families.

Certain races may have an increased risk of high blood cholesterol. For example, African Americans typically have higher HDL and LDL cholesterol levels than whites. How can I lower my cholesterol?

There are two main ways to lower your cholesterol : Heart-healthy lifestyle changes, which include: Heart-healthy eating. A heart-healthy eating plan limits the amount of saturated and trans fats that you eat.

Examples include the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet and the DASH Eating Plan. Weight Management. If you are overweight, losing weight can help lower your LDL bad cholesterol. Risk factors for high cholesterol include: age smoking lack of physical activity overweight or obesity family history unhealthy diet.

Effects of high cholesterol levels The liver is the main processing centre for cholesterol and dietary fat. Foods that contain cholesterol Research has shown that cholesterol in food has a neutral relationship with blood cholesterol levels.

Dietary tips to avoid cholesterol Following a healthy diet and lifestyle can help to lower your cholesterol levels over time, including: Increase the amount and variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods you have each day. People with high cholesterol should choose reduced fat varieties.

Choose a variety of healthy proteins such as lean meat, chicken , seafood, legumes, nuts and seeds. Also limit red meat to one to 3 times per week. Eat oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel at least twice a week. Incorporate healthy fat choices such as nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and oils for cooking.

Use herbs and spices to flavour meals, instead of salt. How to avoid saturated fats To assist with lowering cholesterol levels, reducing foods high in saturated fats can help. Try to minimise intake of: fatty meats processed meats like salami and sausages snack foods like chips most takeaway foods, especially deep-fried foods cakes, biscuits and pastries.

Foods that may lower cholesterol levels LDL cholesterol can be lowered by polyunsaturated oil for example, sunflower or safflower oil. Plant sterols can lower cholesterol levels Plant sterols can lower cholesterol levels and are found naturally in plant foods including sunflower and canola seeds, vegetable oils and in smaller amounts in nuts, legumes, cereals, fruit and vegetables.

Lifestyle tips to cut cholesterol Changing some of your lifestyle habits may also help to reduce your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Suggestions include: Stop alcohol consumption or reduce your alcohol intake to no more than one or 2 drinks a day. Avoid binge drinking. This may help lower your triglyceride levels.

Smoking increases the ability of LDL cholesterol to get into artery cells and cause damage. Exercise regularly for example, at least 30 minutes of brisk walking daily.

Exercise increases HDL levels while reducing LDL and triglyceride levels in the body. Reduce excess body fat. Being overweight may contribute to raised blood triglyceride and LDL levels. Manage your blood sugar levels within your target range if you have diabetes.

Medication may be needed for high cholesterol For some people, diet and lifestyle changes are not enough to lower cholesterol. Statins are the most common medication used to lower blood cholesterol.

If statins do not lower your cholesterol enough, you may need additional medicines. Where to get help Your doctor GP Dietitians Australia External Link Tel. Nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand External Link , National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Government.

Healthy living and eating External Link , Heart Foundation. High cholesterol External Link , Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government. Give feedback about this page.

Was this page helpful? Strong evidence shows that eating patterns that include less dietary cholesterol are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Learn how to prevent, treat, and manage high cholesterol.

Your overall risk for high cholesterol depends on many factors. Learn what increases your risk for high cholesterol.

More information. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search. Español Other Languages. About Cholesterol. Minus Related Pages. What is cholesterol? What do blood cholesterol numbers mean? Having high levels of LDL cholesterol can lead to plaque buildup in your arteries and result in heart disease or stroke.

Triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood that your body uses for energy. The combination of high levels of triglycerides with low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol levels can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.

Total cholesterol, the total amount of cholesterol in your blood based on your HDL, LDL, and triglycerides numbers. What is high cholesterol? What causes high cholesterol? What problems does high cholesterol cause?

My cholesterol guide. LDL and HDL: "Bad" and "good" cholesterol. Centers for Disease Control. Rosenson RS, et al. HDL-cholesterol: Clinical aspects of abnormal values. HDL cholesterol. Lab Tests Online. Ballantyne CM, ed.

Therapeutic targeting of high-density lipoprotein metabolism. In: Clinical Lipidology: A Companion to Braunwald's Heart Disease. Philadelphia, Pa. Madsen CM, et al. Extreme high high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is paradoxically associated with high mortality in men and women: Two prospective cohort studies.

European Heart Journal. Products and Services A Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition Nutritional Supplements at Mayo Clinic Store Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition. See also Arcus senilis: A sign of high cholesterol?

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Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is important How cholesterol moves around the body How to check your cholesterol levels Safe blood cholesterol levels Risk factors for high cholesterol Effects of high cholesterol levels Foods that contain cholesterol Dietary tips to avoid cholesterol How to avoid saturated fats Foods that may lower cholesterol levels Lifestyle tips to cut cholesterol Medication may be needed for high cholesterol Where to get help.

Cholesterol is a type of fat that is part of all animal cells. Cholesterol is important Cholesterol is produced by the liver and also made by most cells in the body. We need a small amount of blood cholesterol because the body uses it to: build the structure of cell membranes make hormones like oestrogen, testosterone and adrenal hormones help your metabolism work efficiently, for example, cholesterol is essential for your body to produce vitamin D produce bile acids, which help the body digest fat and absorb important nutrients.

How cholesterol moves around the body Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance. It is carried around the body by 2 key transport systems in the blood, which include: Low-density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol — carries most of the cholesterol that is delivered to cells.

How to check your cholesterol levels Your doctor can check your cholesterol levels through a blood test. The blood test measures: total cholesterol HDL cholesterol LDL cholesterol triglycerides , another type of fat in the blood.

There are no symptoms for high cholesterol. Safe blood cholesterol levels Many factors influence your cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol levels should be lower than 5.

Risk factors for high cholesterol There is no single cause of high cholesterol, but there are some controllable risk factors smoking and non-controllable risk factors age. Risk factors for high cholesterol include: age smoking lack of physical activity overweight or obesity family history unhealthy diet.

Effects of high cholesterol levels The liver is the main processing centre for cholesterol and dietary fat. Foods that contain cholesterol Research has shown that cholesterol in food has a neutral relationship with blood cholesterol levels.

Dietary tips to avoid cholesterol Following a healthy diet and lifestyle can help to lower your cholesterol levels over time, including: Increase the amount and variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods you have each day. People with high cholesterol should choose reduced fat varieties.

Choose a variety of healthy proteins such as lean meat, chicken , seafood, legumes, nuts and seeds. Also limit red meat to one to 3 times per week. Eat oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel at least twice a week. Incorporate healthy fat choices such as nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and oils for cooking.

Use herbs and spices to flavour meals, instead of salt. How to avoid saturated fats To assist with lowering cholesterol levels, reducing foods high in saturated fats can help. Try to minimise intake of: fatty meats processed meats like salami and sausages snack foods like chips most takeaway foods, especially deep-fried foods cakes, biscuits and pastries.

Foods that may lower cholesterol levels LDL cholesterol can be lowered by polyunsaturated oil for example, sunflower or safflower oil. Plant sterols can lower cholesterol levels Plant sterols can lower cholesterol levels and are found naturally in plant foods including sunflower and canola seeds, vegetable oils and in smaller amounts in nuts, legumes, cereals, fruit and vegetables.

Lifestyle tips to cut cholesterol Changing some of your lifestyle habits may also help to reduce your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Normal triglyceride levels vary by age and sex. People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including a high LDL bad cholesterol level and a low HDL good cholesterol level.

Many people with metabolic syndrome or diabetes also have high triglyceride levels. This part of your test results is a composite of different measurements. Like HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, your total blood cholesterol level should be considered in context with your other known risk factors.

Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisors. See our editorial policies and staff. About Cholesterol. HDL, LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides. Genetic Conditions. Causes of High Cholesterol.

How To Get Your Cholesterol Tested. Prevention and Treatment of High Cholesterol. Cholesterol Tools and Resources. Home Health Topics Cholesterol About Cholesterol What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean. Play without Auto-Play Play Video Text. Understanding your cholesterol levels Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is a great way to keep your heart healthy.

How do you measure cholesterol levels? The test gives information about your: Total cholesterol - a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood. It includes both low-density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol.

LDL bad cholesterol - the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries HDL good cholesterol - HDL helps remove cholesterol from your arteries Non-HDL - this number is your total cholesterol minus your HDL. Your non-HDL includes LDL and other types of cholesterol such as VLDL very-low-density lipoprotein.

Triglycerides - another form of fat in your blood that can raise your risk for heart disease, especially in women What do my cholesterol numbers mean? How often should I get a cholesterol test?

The general recommendations are: For people who are age 19 or younger : The first test should be between ages 9 to 11 Children should have the test again every 5 years Some children may have this test starting at age 2 if there is a family history of high blood cholesterol, heart attack, or stroke For people who are age 20 or older : Younger adults should have the test every 5 years Men ages 45 to 65 and women ages 55 to 65 should have it every 1 to 2 years What affects my cholesterol levels?

These are some things you can do to lower your cholesterol levels: Diet. Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level rise. Saturated fat is the main problem, but cholesterol in foods also matters.

Reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level. Foods that have high levels of saturated fats include some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, and deep-fried and processed foods.

Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL bad cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

It also raises your HDL good cholesterol level. Physical Activity. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL bad cholesterol and raise HDL good cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight.

You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days. Cigarette smoking lowers your HDL good cholesterol.

HDL helps to remove bad cholesterol from your arteries. So a lower HDL can contribute to a higher level of bad cholesterol. Things outside of your control that can also affect cholesterol levels include: Age and Sex. As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.

Foods in Canada are now allowed to have up to 1g of plant sterols per serving added to them. Look for foods fortified with plant sterols such as mayonnaise, margarine and salad dressing. Dietary fats and oils provide our bodies with energy, provide essential fats and help absorb fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K.

Both the quality and amount of fat you eat matters. It is important to not focus on just one nutrient — it is your overall diet that will make the biggest difference to your health. Saturated fat intake should not be an issue if you are eating a healthy, balanced diet, few or no highly-processed foods and appropriate portion sizes.

Sometimes diet and exercise are not enough to lower your blood cholesterol levels. Several drugs are available to lower your blood cholesterol. Your doctor may prescribe medications to including statins and other cholesterol lowering medication.

How to manage your cholesterol PDF. Find health eating tips here. Learn more about other risk factors for heart disease. Donate now. Jump to What is blood cholesterol?

Diagnosis Understand your test results Prevention and management Nutrition labelling Plant sterols Dietary fats Medication to lower cholesterol Related information. What is blood cholesterol?

Cholesterol is naturally made by your body but is increased through our diet. Diagnosis Understand your risk The only way to know if you have high cholesterol levels is to have a simple blood test. Understand your test results Your test results will include: HDL cholesterol good cholesterol - good to have a high number LDL cholesterol bad cholesterol - good to have a low number Non HDL cholesterol total cholesterol — HDL cholesterol - good to have a low number Triglycerides - high reading may be tracked over time Your doctor will review your test results along with your risk factors, medical history and present health.

Familial hypercholesterolemia or inherited high cholesterol People with familial or inherited high cholesterol levels have a much higher risk of heart disease early in life.

Heit thinks immune system could hold key to preventing heart attacks. Read more. Prevention and management Making some lifestyle changes is a positive way to control your blood cholesterol levels. Eat a healthy balanced diet. Choose a variety of whole and minimally processed foods at every meal.

This means foods that are either not packaged or have few ingredients. Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit at every meal. Choose vegetables and fruit for snacks. Select fresh, frozen or canned vegetables and fruit. You want them to be plain, without sauce, sugar or salt added.

Choose whole grains. Look for whole grain breads, barley, oats including oatmeal , quinoa, brown rice, bulgur, farro, etc. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance.

There are two types: low-density lipoprotein LDL and high-density lipoprotein HDL. These plaques can lead to other problems, including heart attacks and strokes. Total and LDL cholesterol levels should be low.

Doctors can measure HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol levels. The results may also show levels of all non-HDL fats that can raise the risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol levels tend to increase with age. Taking steps to reach or maintain healthy levels earlier in life may prevent them from becoming dangerously high over time. Years of unmanaged cholesterol levels can be challenging to treat. The CDC recommends that people aged 20 or over check their cholesterol levels at least once every 4—6 years or more frequently if they have other cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Children should have at least one cholesterol test at age 9—11 and another one at age 17— However, children with risk factors for high cholesterol may need more frequent checks. Typically, males tend to have higher levels throughout their lives than females. The table below shows healthy levels of cholesterol by age, according to the National Institutes of Health NIH.

For adults aged 20 and over, the following levels are significant:. For HDL cholesterol, higher levels are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease:. Aging aside, any changes in cholesterol levels usually stem from health conditions and lifestyle factors.

Below, we describe healthy and unhealthy ranges in more detail. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics , the following measures apply for children and adolescents aged 19 and below:.

The CDC point outs that some health conditions and lifestyle factors can raise cholesterol levels. It says that type 2 diabetes, for example, raises LDL cholesterol levels, as does familial hypercholesterolemia.

The CDC also states that having a diet high in saturated fats and getting low levels of exercise may contribute to high cholesterol levels. The NIH recommends these strategies for lowering cholesterol levels:. The NIH recommends consulting a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise plan.

Overall, current guidelines advise people to aim for at least minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise as well as muscle-strengthening exercise 2 days per week. Having a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise can also bring down high cholesterol levels in children.

Generally, the earlier a person starts making these changes, the better for their cholesterol levels, as cholesterol builds up over time. High cholesterol at any age increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

These risks only increase over time.