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Cholesterol and Heredity

Cholesterol is a fatty substance you get from the food you eat that doesn't dissolve in the bloodstream. Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is imperative. Heredity is one of the causes of high cholesterol that you unfortunately cannot control.

  1. Family History

    • According to Dr. Joseph Lee Klapper, a clinical cardiologist practicing in Los Angeles, California, if you have a family history of heart attack and stroke, you are much more likely to develop high cholesterol levels. If you combine a family history with bad habits or a sedentary lifestyle, the likeliness increases even more.

    Age and Family History

    • According to Dr. Klapper's book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol," the number of your close relatives who have developed a heart or cholesterol-related condition is important. The higher the number, the higher your risk.

    Lp(a)

    • Lipoprotein (a) is a form of LDL cholesterol, or bad cholesterol, that clogs your arteries. Lp(a) levels are determined by heredity and genetics. If you have a strong family history of coronary heart disease, you should be tested for Lp(a) to determine if you should undergo niacin therapy.

    Children

    • If your child has a family history of high cholesterol or premature heart disease in family members under 40, she should be tested as a toddler. If the history is in family members under 60, you should test your child in early childhood.

    Japanese Descent

    • People of Japanese descent are more likely to have low cholesterol levels, according to the Ni-Han-San study performed on Japanese participants in Hawaii and San Francisco in the 1970s. This is due in part to a history of healthy eating among the Japanese culture.

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