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Low and behold

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date15 June 2022
Publication titleHuddersfield Daily Examiner
That's the scary reality of this fatty substance in our blood, which we actually need to stay healthy, because every cell in our body uses it. But too much of it can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular problems, like heart attacks and strokes

The British Heart Foundation (bhf.org.uk) estimates that close to half of UK adults have cholesterol levels above national guidelines (total cholesterol greater than 5mmol/L), yet new research by Novartis Pharmaceuticals (novartis.co.uk) shows 77% of people don't know what a good cholesterol level is in a healthy adult, and only 6% know the NHS recommends people aged over 40 get their cholesterol levels checked every five years.

"Two out of every five people have raised cholesterol," says GP Dr Sarah Jarvis. "Many are living Dr Sarah with a ticking time bomb without knowing it, and don't realise how vital cholesterol is to heart health.

"Too much cholesterol in your blood can clog your arteries and lead to heart attack and stroke.

"Yet if people don't have chest pain or palpitations and feel fine, they often assume they have nothing to worry about... until they have a serious health issue such as a heart attack."

There are two main types of cholesterol - high-density lipoproteins (HDL) is 'good' cholesterol, because it gets rid of the 'bad' non-highdensity lipoproteins (non-HDL) cholesterol from your blood, taking what you don't need back to the liver, where it's broken down.

Non-HDL cholesterol can build up inside blood vessel walls, causing narrowing of the arteries, which increases the risk of heart attacks or strokes. The BHF says non- HDL cholesterol is associated with one in four Jarvis and circulatory disease deaths.

Cholesterol is produced naturally in the liver, and some comes from what we eat. The cholesterol charity Heart UK (heartuk.org.uk) says high cholesterol can be caused by many things, including lifestyle and health problems, plus age - high cholesterol is more likely as you get older; gender - men are more likely to have high cholesterol; and family history -...

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