Cholesterol: Help and advice

Cholesterol, high cholesterol, lower cholesterol levels

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High cholesterol levels and specifically bad cholesterol (or lumps of fat left in the blood) can cause coronary heart disease, which is the UK's biggest killer.

One in six women and one in four men die of high cholesterol each year. The fatty deposits left by having high cholesterol can block your arteries and stop your blood flowing properly.

goodtoknow says: If you've just been told you have high cholesterol it may have come as a shock. High cholesterol has no symptoms and is usually only discovered by having a special blood test. Too much cholesterol can increases your risk of heart disease. But there's plenty you can do to lower cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is basically a fat in your blood. If you eat less fat, your cholesterol level generally goes down. Giving up smoking and taking more exercise will also help. However your doctor may also prescribe drugs called statins which are a good way to lower cholesterol.

For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of high cholesterol from patient.co.uk, read on.

You will usually be advised to take a statin drug to lower your cholesterol level if you have a high risk of developing a cardiovascular disease such as heart disease or stroke. As a rule, no matter what your cholesterol level is, then lowering the level reduces your risk. UK guidelines recommend that all people aged 40 or more should have a cholesterol blood test as part of a routine cardiovascular risk assessment.

- Next: What is cholesterol? Find out more

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