There are certain risk factors for people who have high cholesterol. About fifty percent of all adults have found out that they have cholesterol levels over 200. A big portion of adults have unhealthy levels of cholesterol.

Younger adults are starting to get high cholesterol levels because of their diets of high fat and low fiber. Also, the way they live, in other words their lifestyle, can play a part in it. The levels of cholesterol over all have been some what declining over the years due to medications that have been prescribed by doctors to lower your cholesterol.

Your risk factor can be different depending on if you are a man or a women. The major cause of death in men is heart disease. Men have been known to develop heart disease earlier than women do and are at a greater risk. Through studies it has been suggested that high cholesterol can contribute to high blood pressure in men.

In women, coronary artery disease is the number one killer. At certain times in a women’s life she may have higher cholesterol levels then a man does. In her twenties and early thirties and also after menopause her cholesterol levels may be higher.

There is some evidence which suggests that the HDL levels are higher in women then they are in men. Children can also have high cholesterol levels, however, the cause of this is not really known. Some people think being overweight can make children run a higher risk and having unhealthy cholesterol levels can play a part in the weight issue, too.

Being obese or overweight can have certain risk factors with regard to high cholesterol. People who are overweight tend to have high triglyceride levels and low HDL levels. This can be a risk factor for heart disease and other conditions such as high blood pressure.

Family history can also play a part in high cholesterol. Genetics can sometimes determine if you’ll have a high cholesterol level yourself. People with a history of heart disease in their family should have their cholesterol levels checked regularly. You don’t have to risk your health, visit your doctor and find out if your chances of getting high cholesterol are going to be greater.

When eating out in restaurants, try making wise decisions about the food you order. Most restaurants now days offer low fat, low cholesterol foods. Take your time and study the menu before you decide what you are going to order.

Have your server bring water to the table and drink a couple glasses of water before you eat. This will help to fill your stomach up so you don’t over eat when your meal is ready.

Try to avoid foods on the menu that are buttery, fried, creamed, au gratin or ala mode. These types of foods can be high in cholesterol and fat. If you order bread make sure it’s whole grain bread and don’t put butter on it.

Be careful about the type of foods that you order by selecting low cholesterol foods from the menu. Only order foods which have been roasted, grilled, stir fried, broiled or steamed. Seafood and chicken are the best meats that you can order. Don’t order meats that have fat in them. If your meat has fat showing on it, trim it off and if the skin is still left on your meat, such as chicken, remove it.

Be sure to order your potatoes baked or roasted and without any sour cream or butter on them. Stay away from fried potatoes or any other fried foods. If you order an appetizer, pick out a clear soup. For side dishes, order steamed vegetables in the place of other things. If you ask your server to substitute items on the menu for other food items which have low cholesterol, most of the time, they’ll let you.

Salads can be healthy and low in cholesterol but only if you leave certain items out of them. If you do eat salads, avoid putting certain items in them such as cheese, eggs, bacon, and croutons. When you have dressing with your salad, pour just a little on it at a time. This may help you to eat less dressing than if you were to pour it all on at once. Requesting fat-free dressing on your salad is your best option.