HIGH CHOLESTEROL

What is it?

Cholesterol is a yellow, fatty substance circulating in your bloodstream. Some cholesterol comes directly from the food we eat, and some is made by the body itself. Too much of it can clog your arteries and could lead to a heart attack or stroke. But cholesterol is not all bad. Your body needs it for some very important functions, such as building cells, producing hormones and insulating nerves. A high cholesterol level is only one of many things that can cause heart problems. The other factors include smoking, high blood pressure, stress and insufficient exercise.

Who gets it?

Eating too much fat can be a cause of a high cholesterol level. High cholesterol can also be caused by not getting enough exercise. Sometimes several members of the same family have a high cholesterol level. In that case, the problem is probably genetic, due to the body not being able to cope with normal amounts of cholesterol found in an average diet.

When should I go to my GP?

• If you plan to start heavy exercise, see your doctor or practice nurse first, especially if you are a heavy smoker, may have heart problems, are very overweight or have not done any exercise recently.
• Your GP will also be able to advise whether you need to have your cholesterol measured. He or she may ask about your medical history or family history.
• If medication is required to help lower your cholesterol, it needs to be taken long-term. Your GP will advise whether or not you might need to take it .

What is the treatment?

Whatever the cause of your high cholesterol, it is possible to lower it by doing the following:

• Change your diet. Any changes you make to your diet have to be kept up in the long term, so you should find a healthier eating pattern which you can live with. As a treat, you should still be able to enjoy your favourite high-cholesterol foods now and then.
• Saturated fats can elevate cholesterol, whereas polyunsaturated fats will lower it. Cut down the amount of saturated fats in your diet by replacing foods like butter, cheese and red meat with polyunsaturated oils and margarine (such as sunflower or corn), fish, poultry and low-fat dairy products (such as skimmed milk). Benecol spreads and cream cheese have recently been introduced in the UK. These contain natural ingredients deriving from vegetable oil, corn, beans and wood to help lower cholesterol as part of a low-fat diet.
• Egg yolk contains lots of cholesterol, so it is probably best to limit yourself to two or three eggs per week. But you can use egg white freely.
• Remove all visible fat from meat or poultry.
• Choose low-fat cooking methods, such as grilling, poaching, steaming and microwaving instead of frying.
• Cut down on chocolate, biscuits, cakes, crisps and sweets.
• Try to eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables every day.
• Choose wholegrain (not white) bread, cereals, pasta and rice.
• A diet rich in beans - such as kidney beans, pinto beans, soybeans, black-eyed peas, grams and lentils - can also lower cholesterol.
• Other foods thought to lower cholesterol include garlic, carrots, tea, barley and oats. Ask your practice nurse for advice on this.
  Lose weight if you are overweight. The more overweight you are, the more your body produces cholesterol. Again, ask your practice nurse for advice.
• Exercise helps reduce cholesterol and also cuts down high blood pressure, stress and weight gain. Gentle exercise - such as a brisk 20-minute walk three times a week - is a very good start. Like low- fat diets, the important point is to keep it going over a long time. Do what you enjoy, such as swimming, cycling or jogging.
• Cut down on your alcohol intake if you drink above the recommended limits. Tablets are sometimes given by doctors to lower cholesterol if dieting and exercise do not lower it enough, especially if you have had a heart attack, or if you have other risk factors for heart disease.

If all of these do not help then your doctor may prescribe medication to lower the levels.