Cholesterol / Heart Disease

Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) that is found in your blood. It is important because high levels of cholesterol in your blood increase your risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) – one of the most common causes of death and disability in Europe, North America and Australia.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of death in the UK among men and women. In the UK, about a quarter of deaths in men and one in five deaths in women under the age of 75 years are now caused by CHD, with another 13 to 14 per cent resulting from other related conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. Cholesterol also leads to the other disease like stroke and other heart disease.

Cholesterol travels through the blood attached to a protein -- this cholesterol-protein package is called a lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are classified as high density, low density, or very low density, depending on how much protein there is in relation to fat.

Low density lipoproteins (LDL) : LDL, also called "bad" cholesterol, can cause build-up of plaque on the walls of arteries. The more LDL there is in the blood, the greater the risk of heart disease.

High density lipoproteins (HDL) : HDL also called "good" cholesterol, helps the body get rid of bad cholesterol in the blood. The higher the level of HDL cholesterol, the better. If your levels of HDL are low, your risk of heart disease increases.

Triglycerides/very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL): Triglycerides are another type of fat that is carried in the blood by very low density lipoproteins. Only a small amount of triglycerides is normally found in the blood; most are stored in fat tissue. VLDL is similar to LDL cholesterol in that it contains mostly fat and not much protein. A high triglyceride level, along with high LDL cholesterol, can increase the risk of heart attack.

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In the UK too much saturated fat in the diet is the most common cause of high cholesterol. Saturated fat encourages the body to make more cholesterol than it needs or can get rid of. In the UK we tend to eat a lot of saturated fat and this is probably why we have the highest rates of coronary heart disease in the world.

If you are a cigarette smoker you have about twice the risk of having a heart attack than a non smoker. If you also suffer with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, the 3 factors together multiply the chances of you suffering a heart attack by more than 8 times.

However, high cholesterol levels can occasionally run in families, and in this situation it is usually because the body does not cope well with normal amounts of cholesterol being eaten.

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High cholesterol is a major factor of heart disease, but it can be treated through diet and exercise. The first step in lowering cholesterol levels is to change your diet. Most individuals can reduce their cholesterol level 15-20% by reducing the intake of foods high in cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat.

The only way to try to prevent high cholesterol is to stick to a healthy balanced diet, low in saturated fats, get regular exercise, quit smoking and maintain a healthy weight.

Food to avoid or limit:

• Fatty meats but if you do eat them cut off all the visible fat.

• Sausages goose and duck.

• Pies and pastries.

• Fat or oil in cooking.

• Prawns, shrimp and fish roe.

• Fried foods

• Dairy products such as full milk, cream, cheese, butter and ice cream.

• Egg yolks, limit to 2 a week.

• Cakes, crisps, biscuits, sweets and chocolate.

Try to grill or steam meats instead of frying or roasting but if you do roast, place meat on a rack to allow the fat to drain off. When frying choose a vegetable oil, such as sunflower.

Healthier foods which you could try eating is as follows:

• Fish, especially oil rich fish such as sardines, salmon, mackerel, pilchards and trout. This type of fish contains Omega-3 fatty acids and they are thought to lower LDL cholesterol.

• Poultry (chicken, veal or turkey) but remove the skin.

• Low-Fat dairy products use semi skimmed or skimmed milk, low fat yoghurts and mono or poly-unsaturated spreads.

• Foods high in polyunsaturated (found in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils) and monounsaturated (found in olive, rapeseed, walnut oil and avocado) fats.

• Fruit and vegetables, you should eat at least 5 portions every day.

• Garlic

• Wholegrain breads

• Cereals

• Baked beans and red kidney beans

• Pasta and rice

Using home test kits can help you plan towards a healthier lifestyle and cut down unnecessary visits to your doctor. They provide quick and reliable results to help the prevention and early diagnosis of heart disease.

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