Is your cholesterol level hereditary? (Inherited High Cholesterol) Let's talk about this.

You may be someone who controls your diet and exercises daily. But when you get your blood test, your cholesterol level doesn't go down, right? Sometimes you might think, "Why is this happening to me alone? I do everything right." Actually, the reason for this is not your lifestyle, but something that comes from your family, that is, from generations. Let's talk about this in a little more detail .

Listen to the story of a young woman named Susan Addis. When she was in college, her mother sent her a small package with a letter. The letter said, "Eat all the food I sent you right away, because after you get your blood tested, you won't be able to eat it again." By then, Susan's mother's cholesterol level had risen to 500 mg/dL. (Anything over 200 is considered high.) The doctor had ordered the other three children in the family to be tested.

Susan, who was 24 at the time, was too thin and healthy to ask a doctor for a cholesterol test. She got the test anyway. The result? Cholesterol 350 mg/dL! But the doctor dismissed it as "just a little high." But it was only when Susan looked it up in a book that she realized that her readings were sky-high.

This is because Susan has a rare genetic condition called Familial Hypercholesterolemia . Simply put, this condition causes cholesterol to build up in your body, regardless of your weight, diet, or exercise.

When It's in Your Genes?

One in three adults in the world has high cholesterol. But the genetic condition we talked about earlier called familial hypercholesterolemia affects a very small group, about one in 300 people. There are about 1,500 gene variants that cause it. A parent who has this gene has a 50% chance of passing it on to their child. Susan inherited this gene from her mother. Susan's daughter also inherited it, but her son did not.

Most of these gene variants affect a protein called the LDL receptor . This protein's job is to remove LDL cholesterol , or what we call "bad cholesterol," from the blood. But in people with this genetic condition, that protein doesn't work properly.

People with this condition have high cholesterol levels from birth. If left untreated, heart disease can occur at a very young age.

The best thing is that the treatment for this is the same as for anyone with high cholesterol. That is, a low-fat diet, exercise, and cholesterol-lowering medications . But the problem is, even with all of this, if the control is in the hands of genes, cholesterol levels can still be high.

Susan, while in college, followed a very strict diet and exercised daily, and managed to keep her cholesterol level at just 240 mg/dL. But that was still high. After starting a career, she couldn't maintain that lifestyle. Now, at age 54, she manages her cholesterol with medication and a balanced diet.

Not just genes, but your “inherited” lifestyle

We inherit not only genes from our parents, but also their habits. These include good habits and, unfortunately, bad habits.

Habits that start before birth

Think about it, your taste buds start developing before you're even born. Studies have shown that if a mother eats a variety of foods during pregnancy, her baby is more likely to like those flavors after birth . The aroma of spices like garlic, curry, and ginger are added to the amniotic fluid that the baby swallows in the womb.

In one study, pregnant mothers were given carrot juice and water to drink. After their babies were born, the mothers who drank carrot juice made fewer faces when they first ate carrots. A study of mothers who drank carrot juice while breastfeeding found similar results.

Childhood habits

When you're young, your eating habits are shaped by what your parents eat and drink in front of you. "As a family, we eat the same foods. Most people's eating habits are tied to what they ate and were accustomed to eating from a young age," says Dr. Spatz.

Similarly, the foods you were given as gifts when you were a child, and the foods you were forbidden to eat, also affect this. The surprising thing is, if you were not allowed to eat sweet and oily foods as a child, you are more likely to be greedy for them as an adult.

Similarly, if parents are active, children are more likely to be active too. On the other hand, children of parents who smoke are more likely to smoke , which is also a major cause of high cholesterol.

How do we face this generational risk?

The good news is that the damage caused by faulty genes and inherited bad habits can be controlled with the right lifestyle and medication .

Susan says, "I ate a lot of cheese when I was a kid, and I love cheese. But now I avoid high-fat dairy products. I don't eat red meat or whole eggs." She uses an activity tracker to keep herself motivated to stay active. What she can't control with diet and exercise, she can control with her medication.

Now his cholesterol level is stable between 220-240 mg/dL.

Susan says she finds the strength to go through this journey by looking at everything positively. "When your doctor says your cholesterol is high and you need to do something about it, we think, 'Oh, I can't eat this now, I can't eat that now.' But I thought, 'What new things can I try?'"

"Thinking like that really helped me cook in new ways, use different spices, and try new delicious things. There are so many dishes that can be made that are low in fat, but still delicious . You can eat healthy and deliciously."

Really, that's what anyone would want to pass on to their children, right?