Think high cholesterol is just in your genes? Think again. Delhi cardiologist Dr Shailesh Singh is calling out the excuses: it’s not your DNA—it’s your lifestyle. Sitting on the couch, bingeing junk, and promising “I’ll start Monday” is what’s really tanking your heart health. The good news? Small, committed changes can make a huge difference. Lose weight, ditch alcohol and smoking, and move your body. Seriously, these three tweaks can slash heart risk faster than you think.
Lose the extra kilos
According to the cardiologist, if you’re obese, losing around 10 kilograms can lower LDL cholesterol. But the real magic happens because weight loss amplifies everything else you do for your heart. Shedding kilos helps your body process cholesterol more efficiently by improving insulin sensitivity. HDL, the good cholesterol, rises by about 0.4 mg/dL for every kilogram lost, while triglycerides drop significantly. On top of that, healthy diet changes and exercise become far more effective once your body is lighter and more responsive.
Say goodbye to alcohol and cigarettes
Cutting back or trying “moderate” drinking is not enough, the doctor warns. Any level of alcohol consumption increases your risk of coronary disease, stroke, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, hypertensive heart disease, and aneurysm. Leading health organisations like the WHO and the World Heart Federation agree that no amount of alcohol is safe. Smoking is even worse—it does far more damage than just messing with your cholesterol. People are showing up with strokes at 45, heart attacks at 50, and many don’t make it past 55. Smoking doesn’t just raise risk—it attacks your body in ways blood tests can’t even measure.
Working out
Aim for three and a half to seven hours of exercise each week, mixing cardio and strength training for the best results, he recommends. Aerobic exercise on its own can lower LDL cholesterol by 5 to 10 mg/dL, reduce triglycerides by 10 to 20 per cent, and raise HDL by 2 to 5 per cent. He further added that when you combine cardio with strength training, LDL and triglycerides can drop. While the cholesterol changes might seem modest, the real power of exercise is in lowering overall cardiovascular risk in ways that blood tests alone can’t show. Many people realise too late that starting earlier would have made a huge difference.
Lose the extra kilos
According to the cardiologist, if you’re obese, losing around 10 kilograms can lower LDL cholesterol. But the real magic happens because weight loss amplifies everything else you do for your heart. Shedding kilos helps your body process cholesterol more efficiently by improving insulin sensitivity. HDL, the good cholesterol, rises by about 0.4 mg/dL for every kilogram lost, while triglycerides drop significantly. On top of that, healthy diet changes and exercise become far more effective once your body is lighter and more responsive.
Say goodbye to alcohol and cigarettes
Cutting back or trying “moderate” drinking is not enough, the doctor warns. Any level of alcohol consumption increases your risk of coronary disease, stroke, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, hypertensive heart disease, and aneurysm. Leading health organisations like the WHO and the World Heart Federation agree that no amount of alcohol is safe. Smoking is even worse—it does far more damage than just messing with your cholesterol. People are showing up with strokes at 45, heart attacks at 50, and many don’t make it past 55. Smoking doesn’t just raise risk—it attacks your body in ways blood tests can’t even measure.
Lose 10 kg if you're obese. That's an 8 mg/dL LDL drop.
— Dr Shailesh Singh (@drShaileshSingh) October 1, 2025
But here's what matters more: weight loss amplifies everything else.
Working out
Aim for three and a half to seven hours of exercise each week, mixing cardio and strength training for the best results, he recommends. Aerobic exercise on its own can lower LDL cholesterol by 5 to 10 mg/dL, reduce triglycerides by 10 to 20 per cent, and raise HDL by 2 to 5 per cent. He further added that when you combine cardio with strength training, LDL and triglycerides can drop. While the cholesterol changes might seem modest, the real power of exercise is in lowering overall cardiovascular risk in ways that blood tests alone can’t show. Many people realise too late that starting earlier would have made a huge difference.
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