High cholesterol
Too much cholesterol can lead to heart disease, the leading cause of death in the UK. Monitoring the amount of cholesterol in your blood can help you make changes in your eating and exercise habits to reduce your risk.
In the UK, cholesterol measurements are usually made in accordance with The Joint British Guidelines for prevention of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). These recommend detection and treatment of those most at risk for CHD. Cholesterol testing is indicated for those individuals who have:
- A first degree relative with significant Hypercholesterolaemia or known Familial Hypercholesterolaemia
- A first degree relative with early CHD (< 55 in men; < 65 in women)
Known risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity/overweight, a family history of early heart disease, high blood cholesterol (high total and high LDL), or low HDL cholesterol.Testing most frequently consist of a Lipid profile which in addition to Cholesterol measures another fat, known as Triglyceride (TG), and two subfractions of cholesterol - High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol. HDL is considered 'good cholesterol' and LDL is 'bad cholesterol' in terms of the link to vascular disease. The ratio between the two is also important.
