Lose weight if you’re overweight

Losing weight can lower your body's overall amount of fat and decrease your risk of inflammation, both of which can lower your cholesterol levels. Exercise and weight loss can also reverse insulin resistance, improving your body's ability to regulate hormones and lipoproteins.

Your cholesterol levels can be improved by losing as little as 10 pounds. In one study, participants' levels of LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were markedly lowered when they lost at least 5% of their body weight. (Men who shed between 5% and 10% of their body weight performed better than women who did the same). However, those who lost less than 5% of their body weight merely experienced a decrease in triglyceride levels.