The short explanation
Being slim and vegetarian lowers some risks, but it does not decide cholesterol on its own. A large part of your LDL level comes from how your liver makes and clears cholesterol, which is strongly influenced by genes. Some people inherit a tendency to high LDL, called familial hypercholesterolaemia, regardless of diet or weight. Vegetarian food can also be high in saturated fat through ghee, butter, coconut oil, full-fat dairy, fried snacks and sweets. Thyroid problems and some medicines can raise LDL too.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- A family history of high cholesterol, or of heart attacks at a young age, makes an inherited cause more likely and may mean other relatives should be tested.
- An underactive thyroid, kidney problems, diabetes, pregnancy and certain medicines can push LDL up, so your doctor may check these.
- South Asians tend to develop heart disease earlier, so doctors often look at the whole risk picture rather than weight alone.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This answer cannot tell why your LDL is high or whether you need treatment. That needs your full report, family history and a doctor's assessment.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Could my high LDL be inherited?
- Should my thyroid and kidney function be checked?
- Should my parents or siblings get their cholesterol tested?
- What changes in my diet would make a difference?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 for chest pain, pressure or tightness, especially with sweating, breathlessness or pain spreading to the jaw or arm.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Book a routine appointment to review your lipid report, family history and overall heart risk.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- High cholesterol NHS
- Cholesterol levels MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine)
- Blood cholesterol National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH)
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
Did this answer your question?
Whatever you choose is filed against this version of the answer, never against you, and it is never shown as a count.
“Explain more simply” asks you which part was hard to follow, so the author knows what to rewrite. “My question is different” opens a private follow-up with this answer attached.
Saving, following up and reporting are all private. Nothing you do on this page is visible to other readers or to the doctor who wrote it, unless you ask a question.