Cholesterol buildup in your arteries may trigger inflammation. Inflammation can affect how you break down lipids like cholesterol. This link can cause both factors to increase your risk of heart disease.
If you live with high cholesterol levels, you’re not alone. Experts estimate that about 2 in 5 adultsTrusted Source in the United States have elevated total blood cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance your body makes. We all need some cholesterol. Our body uses cholesterol to repair cells, produce hormones, and create vitamin D.
But too much cholesterol can cause problems. It can start to build up as plaque on the walls of your arteries, narrowing them and making it harder for blood to flow through. This increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Inflammation is your body’s response to what it perceives as harmful. Inflammation can also change the health of your arteries and make cholesterol more likely to cause problems.
Some researchTrusted Source suggests that inflammation contributes to heart disease more than cholesterol. Keep reading to learn more about this link.
Does cholesterol affect inflammation?
Cholesterol affects inflammation in a few ways.
Cholesterol exists in all your body’s cells. When cholesterol levels are high, more cholesterol enters your cells.
Research from 2015Trusted Source has linked this influx of cholesterol with an increase in inflammatory proteins released by your immune system.
A buildup of plaque in your arteries can also trigger an inflammatory response in the body. This response causes more damageTrusted Source and contributes to heart disease.
Does inflammation affect cholesterol levels?
Inflammation in your body can cause several changesTrusted Source in your cholesterol levels.
Research has linked inflammation to lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. HDL cholesterolhelps protect your heart by reducing cholesterol buildup in the blood. Low HDL is a risk factor for heart disease as cholesterol is more likely to cause plaque deposits.
Inflammation also creates denser LDL “bad” cholesterol molecules, which turn into plaque deposits more easily.
Inflammation raises another type of fat found in the blood called triglycerides. High triglyceride levels are another risk factor for heart disease.
Traditionally, we have focused on lowering cholesterol as a primary way to reduce heart disease risk. Finding ways to reduce inflammation might be even more important.
How can I lower cholesterol and inflammation?
Experts most often recommendTrusted Source the Mediterranean diet for people with or at risk of heart disease. This diet includes a variety of food sources of antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber, which may help reduce inflammation in the body. It may alsoTrusted Source help lower LDL levels.
A Mediterranean diet includes:
- a variety of fruits and vegetables
- beans and lentils
- whole grains
- healthy fats from olive oil, avocado, fish, nuts, and seeds
- moderate amounts of poultry, eggs, and dairy products
Medications can also be an important part of preventing or managing heart disease. This is especially true if you have a personal or family history of high cholesterol or heart disease.
Managing or preventing heart disease also involves managing other risk factors for heart disease. Steps to take include:
- managing your blood sugar if you have diabetes or prediabetes
- monitoring your blood pressure and managing it as needed
- staying active if you are able
- getting enough sleep
- managing stress
- using medications or other treatments to manage other inflammatory conditions
Frequently asked questions
Is cholesterol part of the inflammatory response?
Cholesterol is not directly involved in the inflammatory response. Although the immune system sends out various inflammatory proteins, it doesn’t make cholesterol. Your liver makes cholesterol.
Still, higher cholesterol levels can increase inflammationTrusted Source by triggering an immune response.
Can high cholesterol cause joint pain and inflammation?
It seems like high cholesterol and joint pain wouldn’t be connected, but there may be a link. Joint pain is often due to inflammation, which has links to high cholesterol.
A 2021 studyTrusted Source explored knee pain and high cholesterol in older adults with osteoarthritis. Researchers found that those with high cholesterol had more knee pain.
Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean cholesterol causes joint pain — just that there may be a link.
Can high cholesterol cause swelling?
High cholesterol doesn’t directly cause swelling. As part of an inflammatory immune response, your body sends extra blood and fluids to an affected area. The extra fluid gathers in the body’s tissues, resulting in swelling.
High cholesterol can contribute to other conditions, like blood clots, which can cause swelling.
Takeaway
Inflammation and cholesterol are both risk factors for heart disease. Several studies suggest that inflammation could be the main driver of heart disease.
High cholesterol may lead to fatty deposits in the arteries called plaque. This is more likely to happen when there is inflammation in the arteries.
Managing and preventing heart disease isn’t just about managing your cholesterol levels. It includes managing other risk factors, including inflammation.
