When doctors talk about cholesterol levels in a patient, it is usually because they fear that levels are too high. High cholesterol can lead to long-term health problems, including strokes and heart attacks. However, low cholesterol can be a health problem as well. Although this condition, officially called hypocholesterolemia, is very rare, and studies are still being done to confirm the health risks to low cholesterol. If you suffer from low levels it is important to research and talk to your doctor about methods to bring your cholesterol levels back to normal.

Many factors can contribute to low levels of cholesterol in the body. Anything lower than 160 mg/dL is considered abnormally low and should be carefully monitored by doctors. Some of the major contributors to hypocholesterolemia include hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid glands), liver disease, malabsorption (little or no nutrient absorption in the small intestines), celiac disease, malnutrition, and manganese deficiency. A small percentage of people also have very low levels of cholesterol in the blood steam due to abetalipoproteinemia, a rare genetic disease. Abetalipoproteinemia is a condition that mainly affects the Jewish population and not only causes low cholesterol levels, but also causes vitamin deficiencies and an inability to grow and gain weight at a normal rate. Another such disease that causes low cholesterol levels in the blood stream is hypobetalipoproteinemia, another rare genetic disease caused by a mutated gene. Low cholesterol, lastly, can be caused if medications used to treat high cholesterol are used improperly.