Sneaky Unhealthy Lifestyle – Risk of High Cholesterol

The annual health report by America’s Health Rankings mentions that approximately 28.5 million adults in the country have unhealthy overall cholesterol levels. One of the main causes of a high cholesterol level is an unhealthy lifestyle.
If you want to learn more about how your lifestyle affects your cholesterol level, you've come to the right place. This blog talks about the risk of high cholesterol, its causes, and how an urgent care online doctor can help you prevent it.

How An Unhealthy Lifestyle Can Increase the Risk of High Cholesterol

High cholesterol is often associated with unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and a poor diet that's low in fiber-rich foods. Let's look at these in detail:

1. Low Fiber, High Saturated Fat Diet

Saturated fat and cholesterol increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in your blood when it is absorbed by your body. LDL is considered bad because it builds up and hardens in the arteries, leading to heart attack and stroke. In general, eating foods high in saturated fat (butter, cream, and fatty meat) increases your LDL levels.

2. Excessive Alcohol Consumption and Smoking

Excessive alcohol consumption and smoking are other main factors contributing to high cholesterol levels. NCBI says consuming more than 2 drinks per day increases your risk of both high triglycerides and high LDL cholesterol. Studies have also shown that smokers are at much higher risk of high cholesterol than people who don't smoke.

3. Lack of Physical Activity

How does a typical day in your life look like? If you sit behind a desk all day and watch TV when you reach home, the lack of physical activity in your life can be quite unhealthy. These unhealthy lifestyle aspects contribute to obesity, increasing the likelihood of high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, stroke, and other heart and circulatory diseases.

How to Lower Your Cholesterol Levels?

Here are some tips that may help lower your cholesterol levels:

Follow a healthy diet

Avoid foods that contain an excess of saturated fat and trans-fat. Instead, eat more fish (like salmon), whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans. Also, pay attention to how much fat and sodium you consume, and make sure to follow a healthy diet.

Exercise regularly

Physical activity can help reduce bad cholesterol levels. It can also help you control your weight and prevent health problems like diabetes and heart disease. You should aim to get at least 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity per day. You could go for a brisk walk or get involved in other activities such as gardening, dancing, or any indoor sports.

Quit smoking

Smoking raises the risk of heart disease, which is why it's important to quit smoking right away. If quitting isn't easy for you, try using nicotine chewing gum or taking nicotine replacement therapy instead.
If you want to consult a virtual doctor from the comfort of your home, reach out to us. At TelMDCare, we have experts who will prescribe medication and help you rule out the risk of high cholesterol and CVD. Book an appointment today with our acute, chronic, and general care physicians and save big!