What is high cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that the body needs to function. The body uses cholesterol to produce various hormones as well as vitamin D and the bile acids that it uses to digest fat. Cholesterol is naturally present in cell walls everywhere in the body, including the brain,  nerves, skin, liver, intestines, and heart. When and if there is too much cholesterol in the blood stream it can build up in the arteries of the heart and eventually cause heart disease.

What causes high cholesterol?
High cholesterol can be caused by a variety of different factors - some that you can control and some that you cannot. The factors that can lead to high cholesterol that are out of your control include heredity, age, and sex. After the age of 55 women tend to have higher levels of cholesterol than men. You can control some of the main contributing factors to high cholesterol. These include eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly. By controlling these three major risk factors you can have a huge impact on your cholesterol levels.

How is high cholesterol treated? 
If following a strict low cholesterol diet, increasing exercise, and losing excess weight do not work after the first few months there are various medications that can be used. Cholesterol lowering medications are most effective if you continue following a low cholesterol diet, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight.