The NHS in Kirklees is marking National Cholesterol Month by encouraging residents to look after their heart and check their cholesterol. The yearly awareness campaign, run by charity Heart UK, aims to highlight the importance of understanding what cholesterol is and how it can affect our future health.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood. The liver makes cholesterol, and it is also found in certain foods such as meat and dairy products. The body needs some cholesterol to work properly, but if there is too much, it can increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Dr Steve Ollerton a local GP and lead for the Healthy Hearts project in Kirklees, said: “There are many factors that can increase your cholesterol levels including eating an unhealthy diet, drinking too much alcohol, being overweight, smoking, having diabetes or high blood pressure.
“By getting a simple cholesterol test and making positive lifestyle changes, most people can keep their cholesterol levels healthy. If you are over 45 you can ask your GP to test your cholesterol as part of an NHS Healthcheck. Some local pharmacies are also able to provide cholesterol testing.”
The only way to know if you have high cholesterol is to test it with a simple blood test. High cholesterol does not show any sign or symptoms, but if it is too high it increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Dr Ollerton added: “There are two main ways people can lower their cholesterol. You can try to manage your cholesterol levels and improve your overall wellbeing by stopping smoking, increasing your physical activity, managing stress, eating more fruit and vegetables and eating less saturated fat. If these measures are not enough, your doctor might prescribe some medications to help, such as statins.
There is some helpful information about what cholesterol is and how to keep it under control on West Yorkshire Healthy Hearts website at www.westyorkshireandharrogatehealthyhearts.co.uk