Treating High Cholesterol

Before we look at the treatment of high cholesterol, it is important to understand why this matters and what we mean by “high”. The level of cholesterol in your blood is important because higher blood cholesterol increases your risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Taking the UK as an example, the average total blood cholesterol level is 5.2 mmol/l, and about 20% of people have a level above 6.5 mmol/l. To put this into context, with an increase from 5.2 to 6.5, the risk of CHD doubles, and is about three times higher if the level exceeds 7.8 mmol/l. So an increase in cholesterol from 5.5 to 6.5 may not sound like a lot, but it can dramatically increase your risk of heart disease.

These figures are all relative, and for a full assessment of risk there are various other factors that need to be taken into account, such as age, weight, stress levels, diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption and blood pressure. There are many factors that influence your heart health, and we will be looking at these in more detail as we look at how you can Discover Better Health. In this article, we’ll look at various ways that can help you to lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your overall risk of Coronary Heart Disease.

Stop smoking

Giving up cigarette smoking will not directly reduce your cholesterol levels, but it will greatly reduce your risk of CHD so is an important part of any lifestyle changes that you are thinking about making.

Moderate Alcohol Consumption

The good news here is that light to moderate alcohol consumption can be beneficial in reducing your risk of CHD. While some studies have shown that these benefits are more pronounced for red wine, more recent studies have shown that the benefits are gained whatever the type of alcoholic drink. The key here is moderation – a glass or two a few times a week is ideal!

Weight Control

Clinicians refer to BMI or body mass index which is defined as weight (kg) divided by height squared (m2). While a BMI of 20 to 25 is considered a healthy weight, you are classed as obese if it is 30 or above, and being obese doubles your risk of dying prematurely, especially from Coronary Heart Disease. Getting your weight into the healthy range will bring many benefits and reduce your risk

Moderate Exercise

Regular moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, dancing or cycling will help to improve your overall cardio vascular health, reduce your risk of developing CHD, and contribute to lowering your blood cholesterol levels.

Dietary Changes

Small amounts of the cholesterol in our system come from the foods that we eat, but most of it is made by our liver when metabolising saturated fats. Therefore, reducing the amount of saturated fat that we eat is the most important change that we can make, and this can have the added benefit of helping with weight loss.

Foods that are rich in cholesterol, such as eggs and shellfish, should be eaten in moderation, once or twice a week at most.

Dietary fibre, found in fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals, is associated with protecting against CHD, and reducing cholesterol levels, due to the effects of dietary fibre on absorbing fats in the gut. Try to eat at least five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables every day.

Fish and fish oils contain high levels of a form of polyunsturated fat known as omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to have positive effects on heart health.

Drug treatment

There are a variety of different drug treatments available for the treatment of high blood pressure. Statins are the most common – they work by reducing the amount of cholesterol that is being made by the body.

Further reading

Regular check ups with your doctor are very important in order to check your general heart health and diagnose and treat high cholesterol levels. If you are carrying out your own research, the best place to start is with reputable medical websites such as:

American Heart Association

British Heart Foundation

WebMD

Improving and maintaining your heart health is an ongoing journey and is one of the most important aspects of Discovering Better Health