1. The following factors can lead to elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol in your organism (1) Smoking (2) Eating too many foods high in saturated fatty acids, such as foods of animal origin, whole milk products (such as whole milk, cream, cheese, butter, ice cream), egg yolks, certain fats and oils, and foods processed from these, such as sweetbreads, cakes, pies, and muffins. (3) Foods containing trans-fats. Most transfat foods are artificial rather than natural products. During processing, liquid fats and oils are converted to solid fats by hydrogen conversation. Whether or not a food contains converted fat is indicated by the “Hydrogenated” label in the ingredients section of the food label. (4) Overweight and obesity. Because excess energy causes the liver to synthesize too much cholesterol and increase adipose tissue deposition, the overweight section raises LDL-C levels. (5) Age. In both men and women, LDL-C levels increase with age. In women, LDL-C levels sometimes increase significantly after menopause. (6) Lack of regular exercise. Resting lifestyle increases the risk of weight and LDL cholesterol levels. (7) Disease. Hypothyroidism and nephrotic syndrome are two common diseases that lead to increased LDL-C levels. (8) Genetic factors. 2. What are the causes of decreased HDL (good) cholesterol levels? HDL cholesterol levels are usually lower in men than in women, mainly because of differences in sex hormone, estrogen and testosterone levels between men and women. High triglyceride levels are a common cause of low HDL cholesterol. There is a “see-saw” effect between triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol: if one is high, the other is low. You can have low HDL cholesterol without high triglycerides, and this condition becomes isolated low HDL cholesterol. Other conditions that cause low HDL cholesterol include overweight, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and a diet high in carbohydrates (such as processed foods, flours and sugars, and foods that degrade rapidly into sugar in the body), and containing high levels of transferred or hydrogenated fats. Diabetes also causes low HDL cholesterol. Medications such as beta-blockers and anabolic hormones also lower HDL cholesterol. Genetic factors are also an important cause of low HDL cholesterol. 3. What factors contribute to elevated triglycerides? Triglycerides are influenced by genetic background, personal lifestyle, certain diseases and medications. (1) Some people have a genetic background associated with hypertriglyceridemia. (2) Overweight, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle increase triglyceride levels. (3) Excessive alcohol consumption, refined foods high in carbohydrates such as processed foods, foods made from flour and sugar, foods high in saturated fat, and sugary beverages also increase triglyceride levels. (4) Certain diseases, such as diabetes, renal failure, nephrotic syndrome and hypothyroidism, can cause an increase in triglyceride levels. (5) Certain medications, such as beta-blockers, estrogens, retinoids, thiazide diuretics, antipsychotics, corticosteroids, and protease inhibitors used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, can also increase triglyceride levels.