While it's not anything like a 100% solution, get out and get as much sun as you can manage, as well as some exercise.

Cholesterol is one of the precursor molecules used in the synthesis of Vitamin D and the steroid hormones including testosterone. Sunlight stimulates Vitamin D production (which most people are low on, especially in the winter) and exercise tends to increase testosterone production. Lack of sun exposure (because of lower intensity sun and less skin exposure) is probably the major reason cholesterol levels tend to be higher in the fall and winter for most people.

Wikipedia's got a reasonably nice page on cholesterol, and while I don't have a link to the JAMA article on seasonal cholesterol levels, there's a readable summary at Medical News Today.

Exercise tends to be good for mood (and there are some studies that indicate UV exposure is too), and has a pleasant side-effect of helping drop a few pounds, which is good. So, y'know, get out and walk in the sun for as much time as you can. Won't fix things all by itself, but it certainly will help.

While it's not anything like a 100% solution, get out and get as much sun as you can manage, as well as some exercise.

 

Cholesterol is one of the precursor molecules used in the synthesis of Vitamin D and the steroid hormones including testosterone. Sunlight stimulates Vitamin D production (which most people are low on, especially in the winter) and exercise tends to increase testosterone production. Lack of sun exposure (because of lower intensity sun and less skin exposure) is probably the major reason cholesterol levels tend to be higher in the fall and winter for most people.

 

Wikipedia's got a reasonably nice page on cholesterol, and while I don't have a link to the JAMA article on seasonal cholesterol levels, there's a readable summary at Medical News Today.

 

Exercise tends to be good for mood (and there are some studies that indicate UV exposure is too), and has a pleasant side-effect of helping drop a few pounds, which is good. So, y'know, get out and walk in the sun for as much time as you can. Won't fix things all by itself, but it certainly will help.

Hey, thanks for the advice.

Unfortunately, I take hydrochlorothiazide for hypertension and have to limit my exposure to the sun.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Unfortunately, I take hydrochlorothiazide for hypertension and have to limit my exposure to the sun.

Urk. Well, combined with the cholesterol issues, you might want to check with your doctor and see if you can get your hypertension meds changed. (Though given the selection you're on there might not be an alternative, I dunno) That's got to suck, though.

What're your serum vitamin D levels looking like? If you're staying out of the sun I'd bet they're pretty low, 'specially as most folks in the US are borderline deficient as it is.