Hypercholesterolemia: Prevention

To prevent hypercholesterolemia with LDL elevation, attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.

Behavioral risk factors

  • Diet
    • Chronic overeating
      • High caloric intake
      • High intake of saturated fatty acids as well as cholesterol and trans fatty acids (10-20 g trans fatty acids/day; e.g., baked goods, chips, fast food products, convenience foods, fried foods such as French fries, breakfast cereals with added fat, snacks, confectionery, dry soups)
      • High sugar consumption
    • Too low a proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids
    • Too low a proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids
    • Diet low in fiber
    • Micronutrient deficiency (vital substances) – see Prevention with micronutrients.
  • Pleasure food consumption
    • Alcohol (woman: > 20 g/day; man > 30 g/day).
    • Tobacco (smoking)
  • Physical activity
    • Physical inactivity
  • Psycho-social situation
    • Sleep deprivation
    • Stress
  • Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity)? – DYSIS (Dyslipidemia International Study) studied more than 50,000 patients in 30 countries. The authors could find no association between body mass index (BMI) and LDL cholesterol.

Environmental pollution – intoxications (poisonings).

Prevention factors (protective factors)

  • Walnuts: 43 g per day improved lipid metabolism and lowered LDL cholesterol by about 5%.