CORONARY heart disease remains the No.1 killer in the UK yet many of us ignore our cholesterol levels which are pivotal in heart health. Angela Kelly reports,

CHOLESTEROL is a substance made in the liver that is vital to human life. High LDL cholesterol levels – standing for low-density lipoproteins — increase your risk of dying of cardiovascular disease like heart disease because it builds up in the walls of your arteries.

This causes atherosclerosis – a form of heart disease when the arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart muscle is slowed down or blocked.

It is very important to have your cholesterol levels tested to “know your numbers” and ensure your cholesterol is not too high.

You should have a test every five years if you are aged between 40 and 75 and every 12 months if you are on cholesterol-lowering medication.

A child of a parent with inherited high cholesterol (FH) should have a test by the age of 10 and first degree relatives of someone with FH should also be tested.

The test is free on the NHS if you fall into any of these groups.

A blood test is used to determine the amount of bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL), good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL) and other fatty substances (triglycerides) in your blood.

The main numbers to check are your Total Cholesterol (TC) which ideally should be 5 mmol/L (millimoles per litre) or less. Non HDL-cholesterol is your total cholesterol minus your HDL-cholesterol and is the sum of all the “bad” cholesterol added together. Ideally, this should be 4 mmol/L or less.

After getting the results of your test, your GP or practice nurse will explain the results and calculate whether you have a high, moderate or low risk of developing heart disease or stroke within the next 10 years.

The risk also takes into account your BMI (body mass index), treatable risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes or other medical conditions, your age, sex, family history and ethnicity.

Recommended steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing CVD include making lifestyle changes or taking cholesterol-lowering medication like statins.

The lifestyle changes may include eating more healthily by increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, for example, and doing more exercise.

Bolton-based dietitian Dimple Thakrar explained: “Saturated fats are the bad boys when it comes to cholesterol, not foods like eggs that contain cholesterol,” she explained.

“It’s the foods that are animal-based like meat, full-fat cheeses and milks that contain high levels of saturated fat.

So, as a registered dietitian, I always advise on increasing vegetables, fruit and salads, oats and oat-containing foods like oat cakes and keep your weight healthy to reduce your risk of high cholesterol from diet.

“This is as well as cutting down on meats and animal products, moving more to a plant-based diet — go green for a while.”

Certainly, improving your diet can improve cholesterol levels.

Earlier this year, I tested with a cholesterol level of 7.5 mmol/L and was told I needed statins.

Instead, I asked for six months to try to improve this myself.

I cut down on meat and dairy and had more fish and vegetables as well as cutting out processed foods, always opting for fresh ingredients, and also raised my level of exercise.

When I returned for my blood check six months later, I was delighted to be told my cholesterol had dropped to 5.2 mmol/L - and no statins were needed.

n For more information on healthy hearts go to https://heartuk.org.uk/