lipid.siteYour guide
If you eat reasonably well, a high number can feel unfair. Genes set much of it. Let's look at what sets your baseline.
Room 3 · The Family Gallery(a full-tour room)
Why is my cholesterol high?
About 2 minutes
Guess first
If a parent has familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), what is the chance each child inherits it?
Passed down, 1 in 2
An example family where one parent has familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).
Each child gets one of the parent's two copies, like a coin flip.
Clues worth asking about
FH often hides in plain sight. These are the signs to mention.
Tick any that fit
No clues ticked
If any of these fit you or your family, raise them with your clinician.
FH affects about 1 in 250 people and often goes undiagnosed. A negative gene test doesn't rule it out: a high LDL can still be inherited.
The thermostat in your liver
Your genes set how many LDL receptors your liver makes. Food nudges the setting a notch.
Set by genes: typical. Food: no nudge.
Fewer working receptors leave more LDL in the blood. Food moves the dial a notch either way: it helps, but usually modestly. Several medicines work by turning this dial: they make the liver build more receptors.
Using the sample visitor's LDL-C for the clue board. Get a ticket to use yours.
Make your guess to turn on the lights