Glynn Loeb loves nothing better than a good workout.

She's a former triathlete and college swimmer. That's why she never expected to hear she had high cholesterol.

"I was just stunned," she said.

The doctor re-tested, but got the same result. The reason? Menopause.

"He told me that it's not uncommon when a woman's estrogen level goes down her cholesterol, particularly the bad cholesterol, LDL, goes up," said Loeb.

Dr. William James howard says years of study show menopause does affect cholesterol.

KING

Exercise can help reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol.

"There is a slight increase, maybe 10-15 percent increase in the LDL cholesterol, that's the bad cholesterol, and there's a slight decrease in the HDL or the good cholesterol," said Howard.

Howard says the best treatments for high cholesterol, even if triggered by hormonal changes, include exercise, a healthier diet and in more serious cases, cholesterol lowering medication.

Loeb tried exercise.

"We increased her intensity so that she worked a lot harder and put a lot more stress on her body," said Neal Lloyd, Loeb's trainer.

"I did it for 8 months, had my blood done again, and my cholesterol was 50 points lower," said Loeb.

Loeb says she feels better than ever and is taking menopause in stride.

"I think it's a natural process. Why mess with nature?" she said.

Loeb was also given the option of starting hormone replacement therapy. But her doctor calls that a poor option for menopausal women with high cholesterol.