Low cholesterol and lipid ratios are often the result of unhealthy lifestyles such as poor diet and lack of exercise. For some people, the buildup of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood can arise from medical conditions such as hypothyroidism.
What factors cause poor cholesterol and lipid ratios?
Here are 10 common factors:
1. Poor diet
A poor diet is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. An estimated 25%-60% of the calories consumed by people worldwide come from ultra-processed foods. Studies have shown that consuming highly processed foods is associated with a higher risk of dyslipidemia, obesity, cardiovascular disease in general, and other health conditions.
Poor diet also increases inflammation in the body, which negatively affects cholesterol and lipid levels. Inflammation alters lipid metabolism. These changes include decreased HDL cholesterol and increased triglyceride and LDL levels. Inflammation also negatively affects lipoprotein function. LDL is more susceptible to oxidation, while HDL’s ability to prevent oxidation is limited.
2. Sedentary lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle is associated with decreased blood lipid levels. Spending too much time in sedentary activities, such as sitting, watching TV, or using a computer, has many negative health consequences that affect cholesterol and lipid levels. One of these is being overweight.
Over time, lack of exercise can lead to obesity, which significantly increases LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Obesity can also increase the amount of small, dense LDL particles in the blood.
3. Chronic stress
Stress levels can affect cholesterol levels. In response to stress, your body releases the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. This is part of the “fight or flight” mechanism that the body uses to protect itself. In turn, these hormones stimulate the release of triglycerides and free fatty acids, which can increase LDL levels.
Stress can also indirectly increase cholesterol levels. Higher stress levels are associated with poor diet, lack of exercise, and being overweight. These factors can contribute to increased cholesterol.
4. Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are consistently associated with high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol. Cholesterol synthesis is increased and cholesterol absorption is reduced in people with insulin resistance.
The typical pattern here is high fasting insulin, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL, and high triglycerides. Blood sugar and HbA1C can fluctuate and may be normal, healthy, or not, depending on their stage of insulin resistance.
5. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function, is associated with hyperlipidemia. Studies show that cholesterol levels increase when thyroid function is impaired. Having both hypothyroidism and dyslipidemia is closely linked to the development of coronary heart disease.
When thyroid hormone levels are low, the liver cannot process the necessary amount of cholesterol. The body does not break down and remove LDL cholesterol effectively, resulting in high LDL levels. Furthermore, active triiodothyronine (T3) increases the sensitivity of LDL receptors on cell membranes. Low levels of free T3 lead to a form of LDL resistance (similar to insulin resistance), in which more LDL is produced to transport nutrients to the body’s cells.
6. Food Sensitivity
Food allergies are immune reactions to certain foods. When you have a food allergy, your immune system reacts to certain foods as a threat, increasing the immune response.
Repeated exposure to these foods can cause inflammation and other health problems. Lipid metabolism is altered in acute and chronic inflammatory responses.
7. Lack of sunlight
Lack of sunlight may increase blood cholesterol levels by allowing cholesterol synthesis instead of vitamin D synthesis.
Both vitamin D and cholesterol are derived from squalene. When exposed to sunlight, squalene is converted to dehydrocholesterol and vitamin D. When sunlight is absent, squalene is converted to LDL cholesterol.
8. Poor Sleep and Sleep Apnea
Studies have shown that poor sleep is associated with dyslipidemia in women. For men, sleeping more than 8 hours a night is associated with a reduced risk of high LDL cholesterol.
Sleep apnea is associated with unhealthy lipid levels. Sleep apnea is a serious condition in which a person’s breathing stops and starts during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea. With obstructive sleep apnea, breathing stops because the muscles in your throat relax and your airways narrow while you sleep.
There is a strong association between higher total cholesterol, lower HDL, higher LDL, and higher triglycerides with several measures of the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. The negative impact of sleep apnea on lipid levels may partly explain the association between sleep apnea and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
9. Liver and Bile Flow Slow
The liver produces cholesterol to produce hormones and repair tissues. When HDL transports cholesterol from other parts of the body to the liver, the liver is responsible for breaking down and removing cholesterol from the body.
The liver removes cholesterol from the body by converting it into bile salts and transferring it to bile for excretion in the stool. Poor liver function and poor bile flow inhibit this process.
10. Smoking and High Cholesterol
Smoking is the leading cause of high cholesterol and many of the problems that lead to heart disease. It lowers HDL cholesterol levels and raises triglyceride levels in the blood, and promotes plaque buildup on artery walls, leading to blood clots and inflammation.
