Does stress affect cholesterol levels?

Stress can have an indirect affect on cholesterol.

Stress tends to elevate blood levels of the fight-and-flight hormones by stimulating the release of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol from the adrenal glands. These hormones tell the body's fat to send out more triglyceride into the blood stream. Triglyceride is one component of the total cholesterol count.

Overeating and eating the wrong foods may affect on cholesterol. Many people react to stress in just this way. Stress may also cause a person to stop his or her daily exercise. The result could be an increase in total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. In addition, not exercising might lower the HDL (good) cholesterol level.