Increased blood levels of cholesterol that are seen in hypothyroidism are most likely due to

Thyroid hormones induce the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, which is the first step in cholesterol biosynthesis.Moreover, triiodothyronine (T3) upregulates LDL receptors by controlling the LDL receptor gene activation. This T3-mediated gene activation is done by the direct binding of T3 to specific thyroid hormone-responsive elementsFuhermore, T3 controls the sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 (SREBP-2), which in turn regulates LDL receptor's gene expression Ref: DM Vasudevan, 7th edition, page no: 336, 334, 676