Smoking cigarettes, being overweight and leading a sedentary lifestyle, eating foods high in saturated and trans-fats, and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can cause or contribute to elevated triglyceride levels. If one or both of your parents had dyslipidemia, you were more likely to have primary dyslipidemia. A risk factor for elevated cholesterol increases with age. Up until menopause, women often have lower LDL levels than males. Women’s LDL levels start to increase at that point. The following medical issues can also increase your risk of dyslipidemia: Chronic renal disease, hypothyroidism, and type 2 diabetes.