What causes low cholesterol Symptoms and treatment Health ConditionsHealth ConditionsAlzheimer's & DementiaAnxietyArthritisAsthma & AllergiesBreast CancerCancerCardiovascular HealthCOVID-19Dermatology & SkincareDiabetesEnvironment & SustainabilityExercise & FitnessEye HealthHeadache & MigraineHealth EquityHIV & AIDSHuman BiologyInflammatory Bowel DiseaseLeukemiaLGBTQIA+Men's HealthMental HealthMultiple Sclerosis (MS)NutritionParkinson's DiseasePsoriasisSexual HealthWomen's HealthDiscoverNewsLatest NewsOriginal SeriesMedical MythsHonest NutritionThrough My EyesNew Normal HealthPodcastsHow to understand chronic painWhat is behind vaccine hesitancy?The amazing story of hepatitis C, from discovery to cureNew directions in dementia researchCan psychedelics rewire a depressed, anxious brain?Why climate change matters for human healthToolsGeneral HealthDrugs A-ZHealth HubsHealth ToolsBMI Calculators and ChartsBlood Pressure Chart: Ranges and GuideBreast Cancer: Self-Examination GuideSleep CalculatorHealth ProductsAffordable Therapy OptionsBlood Pressure MonitorsDiabetic SuppliesFitness TrackersHome GymsGreen Cleaning ProductsHow to Shop for CBDQuizzesRA Myths vs FactsType 2 Diabetes: Managing Blood SugarAnkylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or FictionConnectAbout Medical News TodayWho We AreOur Editorial ProcessContent IntegrityConscious LanguageNewslettersSign UpFollow UsMedical News TodayHealth ConditionsDiscoverToolsConnectSubscribe What causes low cholesterol Medically reviewed by Meredith Goodwin, MD, FAAFP — By Zawn Villines on July 28, 2022Low cholesterol, or hypolipidemia, occurs when a person has unusually low cholesterol levels in their blood. Excess weight, insulin, and smoking can cause low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol. People can also have low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol. Despite the name, the body needs some LDL cholesterol to function. Very low cholesterol levels may be a sign of an underlying disease. Some potential causes of low overall or LDL cholesterol include chronic infections, inflammation, and malnourishment. Read on to learn more about what causes low cholesterol. What causes low HDL cholesterol Share on Pinterestmixetto/Getty ImagesHDL is beneficial cholesterol. Some common causes of low HDL cholesterol include: excess abdominal fatinsulin resistancesmoking Losing weight and quitting smoking may help bring HDL cholesterol to a satisfactory level. Less commonly, an underlying medical condition may lower HDL cholesterol:APOA1 deficiency: This rare genetic condition affects the APOA1 gene, which is responsible for encoding a protein that forms HDL cholesterol. People with an APOA1 deficiency cannot make as much HDL cholesterol as others.Tangier disease: This is a type of APOA1 deficiency. It causes low or no HDL and low LDL. Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCH): This is a fairly common disorder that causes low HDL but very high LDL and triglycerides. Scientists believe it occurs due to changes in multiple genes and environmental factors, such as diet and lifestyle. Learn more about high HDL cholesterol levels here. What causes low LDL cholesterol LDL cholesterol is informally known as “bad” cholesterol. Usually, doctors encourage people to lower LDL cholesterol levels. However, when LDL levels fall below 50 milligramsperdeciliter(mg/dL) of blood, this may signal a health problem or cause symptoms. Low LDL cholesterol is less common than low HDL cholesterol. Typically, it is secondary to another medical condition, such as: malnourishment from poor nutrition, or from disorders that affect a person’s ability to absorb nutrients hyperthyroidismchronic infections, such as hepatitis Cchronic inflammationblood cancers Three genetic disorders may cause low LDL cholesterol: Hypobetalipoproteinemia: A person must inherit two copies of a gene for this condition to develop. It causes the body to metabolize LDL very quickly. Some people with this disorder have no detectable levels of LDL and need treatment. Others have low but detectable LDL levels and do not usually need treatment. Chylomicron retention disease: To develop this condition, a person has to inherit two copies of a certain gene – one from each parent. Symptoms usually present in infancy and can cause nutritional malabsorption, failure to thrive, and fatty stools. It is also known as Anderson’s disease.Abetalipoproteinemia: This condition, also known as Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome, means a person cannot absorb fat from their diet. Babies usually show symptoms and may have a very low weight, intellectual disabilities, and failure to thrive. Low LDL cholesterol may also occur if a person is taking cholesterol-lowering medication. Learn more about LDL cholesterol here. Low cholesterol symptoms People with low cholesterol will not necessarily have symptoms. When they do, those symptoms may be from the low cholesterol itself or from the underlying disease that is causing low cholesterol. Some potential symptoms of low cholesterol include: fatty stooldepressionvision changes hormonal imbalancesweight loss or failure to thrive in babiesintellectual disabilities or cognitive impairments in children Learn about the ratio of cholesterol in the body here. What is the impact of low cholesterol HDL cholesterol protects against the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. People with low HDL cholesterol may have high LDL cholesterol or high total cholesterol. This increases their risk of heart disease. Low overall cholesterol has different effects. Cholesterol helps the body make vitamin D, steroid hormones, such as cortisol, and sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone. Low cholesterol levels may affect the synthesis of these chemicals. It also helps the body produce the bile necessary for digestion and absorption of vitamins A, K, E, and D and helps form the cell membrane of each cell in the body. Without cholesterol, many bodily functions may not work as well. This can affect metabolism, nutritional status, and mental and physical health. Learn more about vitamins and their function here. Testing cholesterol Most laboratories determine a person has hypolipidemia if there is less than 120 mg/dL of cholesterol in their blood or less than 50 mg/dL of LDL cholesterol. Doctors test cholesterol with a lipid panel. This is a blood test that measures concentrations of lipids, including cholesterol, in the blood. The typical ranges for cholesterol in adults are as follows: Typical rangeTotal cholesterol120–150 mg/dLLDL cholesterol50–100 mg/dLHDL cholesterolmore than 40 mg/dL in males and 50 mg/dL in females A doctor may recommend additional tests, such as tests for genetic disorders or infections, to find the underlying cause of low cholesterol. Learn more about lipid tests here. Treating low cholesterol Treatment for low cholesterol depends on the type of low cholesterol a person has and what caused it. Low HDL often gets better with lifestyle changes such as: quitting smokingattaining a moderate weightbecoming more physically active Low LDL cholesterol may require treatment if a person has symptoms or an underlying genetic disorder. Treatment for the genetic disorders that cause low LDL cholesterol may include taking vitamin E supplements and other fat-soluble vitamins. Sometimes, a doctor may recommend supplementing the diet with more fat. Learn more about LDL cholesterol here. Questions to ask a doctor Some questions to ask a doctor include: Is my cholesterol too low? Does it require treatment? Will any diet or lifestyle changes help? Could my medication be causing low cholesterol?Is low cholesterol responsible for my symptoms?What are the most likely explanations for my low cholesterol? Are there additional tests we can do to find the root cause? Summary Low HDL cholesterol is relatively common. It may be due to lifestyle or a medical condition. Low LDL or overall cholesterol is less common and may signal an underlying medical condition or a genetic disorder. The effects of and treatment for low cholesterol depend on its cause. Talk with a doctor about treatment, diagnosis, and management. Last medically reviewed on July 28, 2022CholesterolGeneticsBlood / HematologyCardiovascular / CardiologyNutrition / Diet 5 sourcescollapsedMedical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.Davidson, M. H., et al. (2021). Hypolipidemia.https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/lipid-disorders/hypolipidemiaGill, P. K., et al. (2022). Familial combined hyperlipidemia is a polygenic trait [Abstract].https://journals.lww.com/co-lipidology/Abstract/2022/04000/Familial_combined_hyperlipidemia_is_a_polygenic.7.aspxHow and when to have your cholesterol checked. (2022).https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/checked.htmHuff, T., et al. (2022). Physiology, cholesterol.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470561/Low HDL cholesterol. (n.d.).https://www.heartuk.org.uk/genetic-conditions/low-hdl-cholesterol-FEEDBACK:Medically reviewed by Meredith Goodwin, MD, FAAFP — By Zawn Villines on July 28, 2022 Latest newsWhat sets 'SuperAgers' apart? Their unusually large neuronsOmega-3 may provide a brain boost for people in midlifeSeasonal affective disorder (SAD): How to beat it this fall and winterCDC: Monkeypox in the US 'unlikely to be eliminated in the near future'Why are more women prone to Alzheimer's? New clues arise Related CoverageHow to maintain healthy HDL levelsMedically reviewed by Meredith Goodwin, MD, FAAFP HDL is the "good" kind of cholesterol. Find out how much HDL is healthy and how to raise your HDL levels using food, medications, and behavioral…READ MOREWhat is the difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol?Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M.D. The body needs cholesterol, but too much bad cholesterol can be harmful and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. In this article…READ MORE