What Puts You at Risk for High Cholesterol?

Being overweight can also raise your triglycerides, for which the goal is 150 mg/dL or under. High triglycerides put you at risk for type 2 diabetes, which is a coronary heart disease risk equivalent; this means that if you have diabetes, you have the same risk of dying from cardiovascular problems as someone who already has coronary heart disease.

While increasing age and stress will slightly change your cholesterol panel, "stopping smoking is the best way to raise your good cholesterol," says Dr. Mays.

It is critical for women nearing menopause to maintain a healthy diet and exercise plan to counteract the effects of estrogen loss. Because estrogen suppresses LDL levels, women who reach menopause may notice a surge of bad cholesterol, says Denise Janosik, MD, a cardiologist and professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Effect of drugs and alcohol
Certain medications, including the steroid prednisone and HIV drugs, can affect your cholesterol panel negatively, so much so that people who are on protease inhibitors for HIV need to be concerned about developing heart disease, and not just AIDS, according to Dr. Mays.

One to two drinks a day is fine for keeping your cholesterol in check. More than that may raise triglycerides because of the high sugar and calorie content of alcoholic drinks. Alcohol also raises HDL slightly, but this increase in good cholesterol isn't as great as that caused by a healthy lifestyle.

Hypothyroidism, too, can result in skewed cholesterol numbers. "If you are fatigued and have sudden weight gain, it is good to have a thyroid screening," says Dr. Mays. "If your thyroid isn't working properly, your lipid panel will make no sense."