Cholesterol – have you had yours checked recently?

Cholesterol is a lipid which is a fatty substance that is needed by your body.  It is made by the liver but is also found in some foods.  It is vital for every cell of you body to function and is also needed to make vitamin D, some hormones and bile for digestion.

But having high lipids in your blood (hyperlipidemia) can seriously affect your health.  High cholesterol is one of the leading causes of deaths in the UK and is a silent killer as you will not know if you have high cholesterol unless you have a blood check.

Cholesterol is carried in your blood connected to proteins.  When the proteins and cholesterol are combined they are called lipoproteins.  There are two types of lipoproteins – one is good and one is bad:

High density lipoprotein (HDL) is good cholesterol and high levels of HDL are protective. HDL carries cholesterol away from the cells to the liver where it is broken down or excreted.

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is bad cholesterol and high levels are bad.  LDL carries cholesterol to the cells where it is needed for the cells to function normally but if there is more than the cells need, cholesterol builds up in arteries leading to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, blood clots, coronary heart disease and angina.  The risk is particularly high if you have a high level of LDL and a low level of HDL.

Cholesterol can be affected by having diabetes,  high blood pressure, and a family history of stroke, heart disease or familial hypercholesterolaemia (people with this have high cholesterol from birth).

But it is also affected by several lifestyle choices:

Poor diet – especially eating saturated fats.  Saturated fat is found in butter and lard, pies, cakes, biscuits, fatty cuts of meat, sausages and bacon, cheese and cream.  The average women should eat no more than 20g of saturated fat per day.  Food labels should specify the amount of saturated fat so you can work out your daily intake.  Eating a diet of unsaturated fats is healthier and can help reduce cholesterol levels.  Unsaturated fats are found in oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, vegetable oils.  Trans fats can increase cholesterol and they can be found in small amounts in some foods. Artificial trans fats used to be found in some foods but they have mostly been removed.  We can reduce our cholesterol levels in our diets by reducing the amount of fried foods we eat, eating more fibre (up to 30g per day), eating more fruit and vegetables and eating less of foods that contain cholesterol, such as kidneys, eggs and prawns.

Smoking  – acrolein, a chemical in cigarettes, prevents HDL from removing cholesterol from fatty deposits to the liver, leading to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

Being overweight – it is likely that you will have higher levels of LDL cholesterol and lower levels of HDL.

Lack of exercise – it is likely that you will have higher levels of LDL.

Alcohol – regular drinking can increase your levels of LDL.

Both HDL and LDL can be measured by a blood test.  You will need to fast before the test.  As a general guide for healthy adults, total cholesterol levels should be 5mmol/L or less, LDL levels should be 3mmol/L or less and the ideal level of HDL is above 1mmol/L.  The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL is also calculated and this should be below 4.

Blood tests can also look at non-HDL cholesterol which is total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol.

Taking into account your HDL and LDL, your blood pressure and weight, your health professional can give you a risk of developing heart disease or a stroke in the next 10 years.

Cholesterol can usually be controlled by lifestyle changes, but in some circumstances, statins may be recommended which can lower cholesterol levels.

Read More:

Global women – how is your blood pressure?

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