High CholesterolSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat (called a lipid) that your body needs to work properly. There are "good" and "bad" types of cholesterol. Too much bad cholesterol in your blood can increase your chance of getting heart disease, stroke, and other health problems.
Common medical terms for high blood cholesterol are:
- Lipid disorder
- Hyperlipidemia
- Hypercholesterolemia
Cholesterol - high; Lipid disorders; Hyperlipoproteinemia; Hyperlipidemia; Dyslipidemia; Hypercholesterolemia
Common conditions include: Familial Hypercholesterolemia
There are many types of cholesterol. The most commonly discussed are:
- Total cholesterol -- a measurement of all types of cholesterol together
- Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol -- often called bad cholesterol
- Very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) -- similar to LDL cholesterol
- High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol -- often called good cholesterol
For many people, abnormal cholesterol levels are partly due to lifestyle factors:
- Eating a diet that is high in fat
- Having overweight or having obesity
- Low physical activity
- Smoking, which can reduce your HDL (good cholesterol)
Some health conditions can also lead to abnormal cholesterol levels, including:
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome
- Pregnancy and other conditions that increase levels of female hormones
- Underactive thyroid gland
Some medicines also may raise cholesterol levels, such as certain types of:
- Birth control pills
- Diuretics (water pills)
- Beta-blockers
- Antidepressants
Several diseases that are passed down through families lead to abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They include:
- Familial combined hyperlipidemia
- Familial dysbetalipoproteinemia
- Familial hypercholesterolemia
- Familial hypertriglyceridemia
Steps you can take to improve your cholesterol levels and to help prevent heart disease and a heart attack include:
- Quit smoking. This is the single biggest change you can make to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet. This includes foods that are naturally low in fat such as vegetables, fruits and whole-grains.
- Use low-fat toppings, sauces, and dressings.
- Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat.
- Exercise regularly.
- Lose weight if you are overweight or have obesity.
Your provider may want you to take medicine for your cholesterol if lifestyle changes do not work. This will depend on:
- Your age
- Whether or not you have heart disease, diabetes, or other blood vessel problems
- Whether you smoke or are overweight
- Whether you have high blood pressure or diabetes
You are more likely to need medicine to lower your cholesterol:
- If you have heart disease or diabetes
- If you are at high risk for heart disease (even if you do not yet have any heart problems)
- If your LDL cholesterol is 160 mg/dL (4.14 mmol/L) or higher
- Your lipoprotein (a) [(lp(a)] level is 125 nmol/L or 50 mg/dL or higher
There are several types of medicines to help lower blood cholesterol levels. The medicines work in different ways. Statins are one kind of medicine that lowers cholesterol and has been proven to reduce the chance of heart disease. Other medicines are available if your risk is high and statins do not lower your cholesterol levels enough. These include ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, and PCSK9 inhibitors. Check with your provider about what is best for you.
Heart And Vascular Center - Center For Advanced Care - Froedtert Hospital
Dr. Iftikhar Kullo is a cardiovascular physician scientist whose research is focused on the genetic epidemiology of coronary heart disease and lipid disorders as well as implementation of genomic medicine. He is currently a professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine), associate director of the Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, and associate director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Dr. Kullo's clinical interest is early-onset coronary heart disease and lipid disorders. His research focus is on implementing polygenic risk scores at scale for prevention of common diseases and improving health outcomes. Dr. Kullo’s work on genomic discovery and implementation, funded by the NIH’s Genome Research Institute, has been widely cited. He has published more than 450 scientific papers and has mentored more than 100 medical students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty. In 2019, he was nominated to a 4-year term on the US National Advisory Council on Human Genome Research by the DHSS Secretary. Dr. Kullo is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of High Cholesterol. He is also highly rated in 12 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses High Cholesterol, Peripheral Artery Disease, Coronary Heart Disease, and Atherosclerosis. Dr. Kullo is board certified in Internal Medicine - Cardiovascular Disease. Dr. Kullo is currently accepting new patients.
UChicago Medicine River East
Michael Davidson is a Cardiologist practicing medicine in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Davidson is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of High Cholesterol. He is also highly rated in 9 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Familial Hypertriglyceridemia, High Cholesterol, Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Dr. Davidson is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease Internal Medicine and Practicing Since1986.
Oregon Health & Science University
Sergio Fazio is an Endocrinologist practicing medicine in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Fazio is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of High Cholesterol. He is also highly rated in 13 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses High Cholesterol, Familial Hypertriglyceridemia, Atherosclerosis, and Familial Hypercholesterolemia.
High cholesterol levels can lead to hardening of the arteries, also called atherosclerosis. This occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques.
Over time, these plaques can narrow the arteries and cause heart disease, and other symptoms or problems throughout the body.
Sometimes the plaques can rupture or break loose and a clot can form and block blood flow and cause a heart attack or stroke.
Disorders that are passed down through families often lead to higher cholesterol levels that are harder to control.
Summary: This study will evaluate people with dyslipidemias - disorders that affect the fat content in the blood. Fats, or lipids, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, are carried in the blood in particles called lipoproteins. These particles are involved in causing blood vessel diseases that can lead to conditions like atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) or heart attack. Participants will underg...
Summary: The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of ION775 on fasting triglyceride (TG) levels in participants with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG).
Published Date: July 21, 2026
Published By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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US Preventive Services Task Force; Mangione CM, Barry MJ, et al. Statin use for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2022;328(8):746-753. PMID: 35997723 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35997723/.
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