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Cholesterol can build up in your blood and increase your risk for heart disease. Learn about high cholesterol and how to reduce your risk.

The objective of this study was to examine awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, by health care access and sociodemographic characteristics, among insured adults in New York City.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among US women, accounting for 25% of all deaths in this population. Approximately 65% of these deaths occur in asymptomatic women. Hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes mellitus (diabetes) are major risk factors for CVD and can be treated effectively if identified at an early stage.

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal established by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. PCD provides an open exchange of information and knowledge among researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and others who strive to improve the health of the public through chronic disease prevention.

The most common cause of high blood cholesterol is an unhealthy lifestyle. However, the genes that you inherit from your parents, other medical conditions, and some medicines may also cause high blood cholesterol.

Your risk for high blood cholesterol may be higher because of your age, family history and genetics, race or ethnicity, or sex.

Your doctor may order a blood test called a lipid panel to screen for unhealthy cholesterol levels. Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle starting in childhood and continuing throughout your life can help prevent high blood cholesterol.

High “bad” LDL cholesterol usually does not cause symptoms, so most people do not know they have it until they are tested during a routine doctor’s visit. Very high levels may cause symptoms such as fatty bumps on your skin, called xanthomas, or grayish-white rings around the corneas in your eye, called corneal arcus. These mostly develop in people who have familial hypercholesterolemia. Undiagnosed or untreated high blood cholesterol can lead to serious problems, such as heart attack and stroke.

Your doctor may diagnose you with high blood cholesterol based on your medical and family history, your physical exam, or whether you have consistently high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels on repeat lipid panel blood tests. Your doctor may do more tests to see if other medical conditions may be causing high blood cholesterol.

High blood cholesterol is treated with heart-healthy lifestyle changes and medicines to control or lower your high blood cholesterol. Lipoprotein apheresis is a procedure that can be used to treat familial hypercholesterolemia.

If you have been diagnosed with high blood cholesterol, it is important that you continue your treatment. Follow-up care can vary depending on your cholesterol levels, your risk of having a cardiovascular complication such as a heart attack or a stroke, and your response to treatment.