How Long Does It Take To Lower Your Cholesterol?

If you have high cholesterol, the good news is that YOU CAN LOWER IT! Most people can begin seeing improvements in their cholesterol within 6 to 12 weeks after making consistent diet and lifestyle changes, although significant improvements often take 3 to 6 months. If you’re taking cholesterol-lowering medication, your results will be even quicker!

If taking cholesterol-lowering medication, your healthcare provider may recheck your cholesterol levels after about 4 to 12 weeks to see how well your treatment is working.

Note: The exact timeline depends on your starting cholesterol level, genetics, medications, and how consistently you follow heart-healthy habits.

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Timeline for Lowering Your Cholesterol

Many factors affect how long it takes to lower cholesterol, including:

• Pre-existing health factors
• Dietary habits
• Physical activity level
• Supplements and medications you take

The great news, however, is that you can actively speed up the process! You can start by considering the factors above and improving any areas where you feel you’re falling short.

A timeline for seeing results depends on your approach and commitment to managing cholesterol levels. Generally speaking, if you are trying to lower your cholesterol with diet and lifestyle changes, you can expect to see significant improvements within 3-6 months!

Expert Tips for Lowering Cholesterol

As a registered dietitian who regularly works with heart patients, I often talk about how to improve lipid levels through dietary approaches. I also sprinkle in some other recommendations based on scientific evidence; these include:

• Lifestyle changes
• Supplements
• Medication management- with the help of your doctor

Let me elaborate on how to use these methods to lower your cholesterol levels faster!

Dietary Approaches

It’s imperative to know that some individuals are more sensitive to dietary cholesterol than others, but a registered dietitian can help you find the appropriate dietary pattern for you!

When lowering cholesterol through diet, there are several things to consider. With the help of the National Lipid Association’s 2023 guidelines on the nutrition interventions for adults with dyslipidemia, and the 2026 multiorganizational Guidelines on the Management of Dyslipidemia, you should be covered.

I’m happy to share some of the key highlights. 👇

1. Reduce Saturated Fat Intake

Cholesterol in the foods we eat used to be frowned upon for raising total and LDL cholesterol levels. Today, the overall consensus of the American Heart Association’s Science Advisory is to consume a higher ratio of unsaturated fats to saturated fats.

Saturated fats are found not only in many processed and ultra-processed foods but also in animal products. Some foods high in saturated fat include (but are not limited to):

• Fried/deep-fried foods
• Coconut oil
• Full-fat dairy products
• Fatty cuts of meat
• The skin of poultry
• Baked goods made with butter or shortening

Instead, choose heart-healthy unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) that come from plant sources, including:

• Olive oil and extra virgin olive oil
• Canola oil
• Nuts and seeds (of all kinds)
• Avocado
• Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines

Polyunsaturated fats may have more of a cholesterol-lowering effect than monounsaturated fats (8).

It’s all about making better food choices during the day. For example, if you enjoy chicharrones (AKA fried pork rinds) and eat them often as a snack, you should be aware that they contain 5 gm of total fat and 2.5 gm of saturated fat per serving.

While this may not be the best snack choice, you can technically still include a small amount as part of a cholesterol-lowering diet.

Dietitian Tip: Better snack options include nuts, fresh fruit, veggies with hummus, or a heart-healthy smoothie.

Another important point regarding fat intake is that not all fats are created equal. Certain forms of saturated fats have a greater negative effect on cholesterol than others (8). These more harmful saturated fats come in the form of:

• Butter and full-fat dairy products
• Processed and high-fat meats
• Tropical oils (i.e., coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils)

2. Vary Your Protein Sources

Try eating more plant-based sources of protein to help lower your LDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels more significantly.

One study investigating three different forms of the DASH diet found that consuming slightly higher amounts of protein (25%), lower amounts of carbohydrates (48%), and heart-healthy fats (27%) resulted in lower blood pressure and lipid levels over six weeks.

To accomplish similar results for yourself, you may need to replace some of your carbs with “mixed-source proteins,” meaning ~50% from plant sources. Excellent options include beans, legumes, tofu, or tempeh, to name just a few.

Related article: The Best Alternatives to Deli Meat (Plus 13 Yummy Recipes)

3. Include Viscous Fiber

All types of dietary fiber are great additions to a healthy diet. However, viscous (soluble) fibers such as pectins, gums, mucilages, and some hemicelluloses are known to reduce LDL, non-HDL, and Apo B levels. This is because they form a gel in your GI tract, preventing the absorption of bad cholesterol.

Another particular type of viscous fiber that helps lower LDL cholesterol is β-glucan (beta-glucan). It is commonly found in oats.

Research shows that consuming 3.5 grams of oat β-glucan daily for 6 weeks resulted in modest reductions to LDL and non-HDL-cholesterol (9).

In addition, randomized controlled trials show that eating 5-10 grams of viscous fiber daily can lower your LDL cholesterol level by 5.5 to 11.0 mg/dL! Hmm, might have to add some more oatmeal to your daily routine, am I right?

1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal contains around 3 grams of beta-glucan (10).

Other foods containing viscous fibers:

• Barley
• Legumes (e.g., lentils, lima beans, kidney beans)
• Chia seeds
• Fruits, including apples, peaches, and pears
• Vegetables, including asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes

4. Follow a Cholesterol Friendly Diet

Two heart-healthy dietary patterns, the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, have been shown to reduce the time it takes to lower cholesterol levels.

Both of these diets follow similar principles and are very plant-forward. Plant foods do not contain cholesterol and are rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients, phytosterols, and fiber that can help prevent lipid levels from rising and even lower them.

😍For a free, heart-healthy, cholesterol-friendly foods list or a list of the top 25 best foods for heart health, sign up for my monthly newsletter.

Lifestyle Changes

A healthy lifestyle, combined with healthy dietary changes, is a great way to lower your cholesterol. These lifestyle changes include:

• Staying physically active
• Obtaining a healthy weight
• Quitting smoking or never starting to smoke
• Avoiding alcohol intake or drinking in moderation
• Managing stress levels

I want to add that a person of a heavier weight will not necessarily have high cholesterol. However, studies do show a correlation between weight gain and increases in cholesterol levels. Studies also confirm that when heavier individuals lose weight, their cholesterol levels also tend to decrease.

Related Article: 5 Things You Can Do to Support Heart Health NOW

Supplements

Depending on your cholesterol panel results, your doctor may recommend medication management or supplements if you’re not ready for prescription medication.

There are two dietary supplements I’d like to review. But remember that supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so use caution and speak with your doctor before starting a supplement regimen.

Plant Sterols and Stanols

Plant sterols and plant stanols are also known as phytosterols. These substances are naturally found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and grain products. They lower LDL cholesterol by reducing how much is absorbed in your intestines.

Phytosterol supplements may be useful for those at low to moderate risk for cardiovascular disease and do not qualify for statin therapy.

Red Yeast Rice

Red yeast rice is a dietary supplement made from fermenting yeast on rice. During the fermentation process, a compound called monacolin K is produced. What’s super interesting is that monacolin K is structurally identical to lovastatin!

Some of you reading this may already be aware that lovastatin is a medication (a statin, to be exact) made to help lower cholesterol.

Unfortunately, when purchasing red yeast rice supplements, the labels do not list the amount of monacolin K. This means there is no way of knowing how much active ingredient you are getting.

However, studies on red yeast rice show that an intake of 1200 to 2400 grams per day reduces LDL cholesterol levels (13, 14).

Future insight into the use of red yeast rice should be fascinating. For now, talk with your doctor about whether or not it is right for you.

Medications

Depending on the results of your lipid panel, your doctor may consider prescribing lipid-lowering medication. The most common type of medication given to lower cholesterol is a statin.

Other medications are commonly given to reduce lipid levels. These include:

• Bile acid sequestrants
• Niacin or nicotinic acid
• Fibrates
• PCSK9 inhibitors
• Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters

According to the Cleveland Clinic, statins can dissolve cholesterol build-up in your arteries. If you’re wondering how long it takes statins to lower cholesterol, the answer is 6 to 8 weeks, though improvements can be seen as early as two weeks.

For more about how to eat when taking statins, read this brief article: The Statin-Friendly Diet: Foods to Add and Avoid. Or for more information on the rest of these medications, visit this article on cholesterol medications from the AHA.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is naturally present in our bodies. We get cholesterol from two sources:

1. Our body makes it in our liver
2. From the foods that we eat

Our liver produces all the cholesterol our body needs. That’s right…we need cholesterol. It plays vital roles within our bodies to keep us healthy.

For example, we need cholesterol for energy, bile acid production, and the production of vitamin D and other hormones (1). Only when levels get too high or too low do we experience issues, including the build-up of cholesterol plaques within arteries.

Cholesterol is carried through our bloodstream on lipoproteins . We have different types of lipoproteins. In this article, I’ll talk about targeting low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and non-HDL cholesterol, but I will fill you in on other lipoproteins as well.

When there is an imbalance in the amount of cholesterol or lipoproteins in our blood, this is known as dyslipidemia (1).

Is High Cholesterol Genetic?

The only way to know your cholesterol levels is to get bloodwork done. Your doctor may refer to this test as a lipid panel, lipid profile, or cholesterol panel.

For some people, high cholesterol or dyslipidemia is genetic. A condition called familial hypercholesterolemia involves a genetic mutation that causes high LDL cholesterol levels (1,2). This condition affects one in every 200 adults (2).

For individuals with familial hypercholesterolemia, diet and lifestyle change alone is not enough to manage lipid (fat) levels.

For those who do not have familial hypercholesterolemia, the main culprits of high cholesterol are usually unhealthy diet and lifestyle practices.

Types of Cholesterol Explained

There are several different types of cholesterol. Below is a quick breakdown of the different lipids and lipoproteins you may notice when looking at your lipid panel test.

The cholesterol goals have recently been updated in line with the new 2026 cholesterol guidelines, so pay special attention to the LDL cholesterol targets! And be sure to read 2026 Cholesterol Guidelines Explained: What You Need to Know About Your Numbers for more on this update.

Type of Cholesterol	Description	Aim for…
Total Cholesterol	The total amount of cholesterol circulating in your blood.	<200 mg/dL
HDL	Refers to the “good” cholesterol. It helps remove excess cholesterol from your bloodstream.	Women: > 50 mg/dL Men: > 40 mg/dL.
LDL	The “bad” cholesterol that promotes dangerous plaque build-up in your arteries. Can lead to atherosclerotic heart disease and other issues.	Healthy adults: <100 mg/dL High-risk: <70 mg/dL Very high-risk: <55 mg/dL
Triglycerides	A type of fat that your body uses for energy. A combination of low HDL, high LDL, and high triglycerides, may indiciate a higher risk of having a heart attack or other health issues.	<150 mg/dL
Non-HDL	Includes ALL the “bad” cholesterol particles in your blood, including LDL, VLDL, and others.	No more than 30 mg/dL higher than your LDL target, OR <100 mg/dL

Additional Tests to Consider

More advanced cholesterol labs are available to get a bigger picture of your heart disease risk. These are not part of a standard lipid panel test, so ask your doctor if you may benefit from them:

• Apolipoprotein B: ApoB or ApoB-100, is a lipoprotein that carries particles (LDL cholesterol and chylomicrons) from the liver to the cells. Measuring ApoB may benefit those with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. High levels are associated with plaque build-up in arteries and may be a good indicator of the number of atherogenic particles circulating in the system.
• Lipoprotein(a): Also called Lp(a), this lipoprotein is a central component of LDL cholesterol particles. It includes ApoB and apolipoprotein(a). High levels are highly genetic and associated with irregular heart rhythms, coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke, and aortic valve stenosis (5,6). Lp(a) is also a causal risk factor for ASCVD (7).

When Should Your Cholesterol Be Re-Checked?

Getting updated labs is crucial for measuring how well your current treatment plan is working for you. In general, you may want to re-check your cholesterol levels:

• 4–12 weeks after starting a statin
• About 3 months after making major diet and lifestyle changes
• Every 3–12 months afterward, depending on your situation

Lower Cholesterol Levels Are in Your Future! 🔮

How quickly cholesterol improves depends entirely on the changes YOU are willing to make, along with any other treatment options you and your doctor decide upon. You can lower your cholesterol more quickly by combining treatment options. For example, a healthy diet, along with exercise and medications (if recommended), can drastically improve your cholesterol levels in a matter of weeks!

Try starting with a cholesterol-lowering diet like the DASH or Mediterranean diet to help lower cholesterol each week, starting today.

😁If you enjoyed this article, feel free to leave a comment, visit the BLOG for more heart-related topics, or browse my favorite plant-based RECIPES for meal inspiration.