Can COVID Raise Your Cholesterol?

COVID-19 is linked to other chronic health conditions, like a lingering cough, fatigue, and changes in taste and smell. Research has also shown a possible link between COVID and high cholesterol, but the relationship is pretty unclear.

First, the good: A 2022 study that looked at data from 9,005 people over the age of 40 in the U.K. found people who tested negative for COVID were more likely to have high levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. The researchers suggested this type of cholesterol may have played somewhat of a protective role in COVID risk.

Second, the bad: Another study looking at data from 55,412,462 people found that those who had genetic high cholesterol, heart disease, or both were more likely to have heart attacks after catching COVID. In other words, people with high LDL cholesterol had worse outcomes post-COVID.

The remaining question is: Can COVID cause high cholesterol? A recent study suggests that it could.

Looking at data on almost 52,000 people who had COVID and no history of high cholesterol, researchers found that people who had COVID were at a higher risk of developing high cholesterol and being put on cholesterol-lowering medications than people who never had the virus. The researchers concluded that there are likely increased risks of having high cholesterol and being put on cholesterol-lowering medications for up to a year after having COVID.

“It’s very clear that having COVID is associated with a new diagnosis of high cholesterol,” Cheng-Han Chen, MD, PhD, board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California, told Verywell. “It also appears that the more serious a COVID infection you have, the higher the chances of high cholesterol.”

Why Would COVID Raise Cholesterol Levels?

Researchers are seeing an association between high cholesterol and COVID, but the data does not show that COVID causes high cholesterol. It just means there’s a link between the two.

“We’re still early in our understanding of how COVID affects the body,” Chen said.

Thomas Russo, MD, a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York, told Verywell that more research is needed for us to “understand more about the post-COVID reaction.”

There are some theories, though. One relatively simple idea is that high cholesterol is just something that happens after someone has an infection like COVID.

“It may be the consequence of an acute infection, and it might be tied to inflammation,” said Russo.

COVID could also influence how the liver breaks down cholesterol, Chen said.

“There have been studies that show that COVID infection affects your gut microbiome, and that also influences how your body metabolizes cholesterol,” he said.

Another possibility is that people may change their lifestyle after a COVID infection because they have lingering symptoms.

“Maybe you don’t have the same exercise routine you used to, or maybe you don’t eat as carefully,” Chen said.

The recent study only tracked people for a year, so it’s possible that high cholesterol linked to COVID could go down over time.

“We need to find out if this is something that is transient and for how long,” said Russo.

How to Lower Your Risk of Getting High Cholesterol From COVID

Based on these studies, experts do caution that catching COVID could certainly put you at a higher risk of developing high cholesterol.

“What’s really remarkable is that every subgroup that has been studied all showed that COVID infection was linked with an increased cholesterol diagnosis,” Chen said.

However, people who already had cholesterol that was on the higher end of normal may be the most at risk, Russo said.

Chen said the research also suggests that healthcare providers need to pay closer attention to patients’ cholesterol numbers after they’ve had COVID, and that they should consider treatment for high cholesterol if needed.

If you’ve recently had COVID, it may be worth asking your provider to check your cholesterol, especially if you don’t already know your numbers. They can also talk to you about lifestyle changes that can be made to help control cholesterol, such as making changes to your diet and exercise routine.

While Chen said it’s too early to say what will prevent people from developing high cholesterol after COVID, Russo recommends staying up-to-date with your vaccines to start.

“We know that most post-COVID conditions are more likely to occur with severity of disease,” said Russo. “We also know that vaccination and/or early treatment decreases the risk of long COVID and other consequences. It would make sense to be vaccinated to lower your risk.”

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page.