• Cholesterol, Heart Disease
• Highlights
• Introduction
• Complications
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis
• Treatment

Risk Factors

Unhealthy cholesterol levels (low HDL, high LDL, and high triglycerides) increase the risk for heart disease and heart attack. Some risk factors for cholesterol can be controlled (diet, exercise, weight) while others cannot (age, gender, and family history).

Age and Gender

From puberty on, men tend to have lower HDL (good cholesterol) levels than women. One reason is that the female sex hormone estrogen is associated with higher HDL levels. Because of this, premenopausal women...