(BlackDoctor.org) -- Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you stub your toe, you can feel it in your cheekbones or some other awkward place in your body? Ever wonder why that happens? Well, the body's many tissues, organs, systems and processes are closely connected, and when there's a problem in one area or function of the body, many others may also be affected. This also applies to cholesterol. When a health condition affects the way the body processes cholesterol, it begins to build up in the blood, causing high cholesterol levels.

How Cholesterol Works

When the body's metabolism—the process by which the body turns food into energy—is affected by a health problem, cholesterol levels are frequently affected. Figuring out the best way to treat high cholesterol starts with understanding why it's happening, so identifying other health problems is a primary consideration. High-cholesterol treatment is about managing not just one risk factor, but all of them.

Health Conditions That Put You at Risk

There are a number of health conditions that can lead to high cholesterol levels, and people who have them need to understand that they're at risk. Since high cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, keeping it under control is essential. Knowing your risk is the first step to prevention.

These health conditions are known to increase cholesterol levels:

• Diabetes (insufficient production of the hormone insulin)
• Obesity/overweight
• Kidney disease
• Cushing’s syndrome (a hormonal disorder)
• Hypothyroidism (another hormonal imbalance)
• Liver diseases like cirrhosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
• Alcoholism

There are a few reasons why these health conditions raise cholesterol levels. First, the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood essentially reflect how our body works to metabolize the fat and cholesterol that we eat in a day. Experts say that diabetes and thyroid disorders can affect the way we metabolize cholesterol and triglycerides. This has a direct effect on triglyceride and cholesterol levels. So when these conditions begin affecting metabolism and slowing it down, the body isn't able to process everything it needs to, including cholesterol.

The same holds true for conditions like alcoholism and liver disease. If the liver can't metabolize all of the cholesterol that you eat and your body produces, cholesterol builds up in the blood.

Preventing High Cholesterol

If you have any of the above-mentioned health conditions, you’re at risk for developing high cholesterol. That's why limiting cholesterol in your diet by reducing your intake of foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol and getting regular exercise are very important.

Frequent monitoring of your cholesterol levels is also important to stay on top of high cholesterol and keep it from raising your risk of heart disease. For better protection, your doctor may also recommend that you take a cholesterol-lowering medication to keep your risk of heart disease as low as possible.

By Shawn Williams, BDO Staff Writer