Cholesterol- The Good and the Bad!

Cholesterol is a fatty substance in our blood. You’ve probably heard of its association with the risk of heart attack and stroke. But actually, not all cholesterol is bad- we all have it, and produce it in the liver, and we all actually need some of it for maintenance and repair. So here’s the good and the bad of cholesterol!

It’s about quality, not just quantity!
There are different types of cholesterol which mean different things regarding your health.

Low density lipoprotein/LDL cholesterol is the ‘baddie’ here, as it deposits itself in to cells around your body, to the point where it can clog your arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. 

By contrast, High-density lipoproteins/HDL cholesterol is the ‘good’ cholesterol which is broken down in the liver, and actually helps to dispose of bad cholesterol from your blood vessels.

Doctors will consider both the total amount of cholesterol in your blood, and also the ratio of of bad (LDL) to good (HDL) cholesterol when assessing your cholesterol levels.

There is much that can be done to influence your cholesterol levels.
Some factors influencing cholesterol levels are beyond our control- such as family history, ethnic background and growing older. However, several lifestyle factors also come in to play, which we can work to improve. 

Diet
The types of fat we eat can directly influence our good and bad cholesterol levels.

Foods containing high levels of saturated fat (linked to LDL cholesterol) should be limited in favour of those containing unsaturated fat (linked to HDL cholesterol).

 As a general rule of thumb, saturated fats tend to be animal/dairy in origin- such as meat and dairy. However coconut and palm oil are also saturated fats.

Meanwhile unsaturated fats tend to originate from fish or plants in origin- think nuts, seeds, avocados, vegetable oils.

Lifestyle
Reducing your alcohol intake, and increasing exercise also help to restore a healthy balance of cholesterol.

What might your doctor do?
Lifestyle changes are always the first port of call when managing cholesterol. But should these not prove effective on their own, there are many medical options, which are proven to be highly beneficial and should be taken consistently and regularly. 

Know your levels
As many people with high cholesterol do not have symptoms, it’s well worth checking your cholesterol levels regularly. See your friendly GP to discuss the various NHS and private screening options available.

Good to know
Naturally, there is heaps more information to be found online. The NHS is a great and reputable source of information on how to lower your cholesterol.  

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/lower-your-cholesterol/

Happy Blood Pressure Week 10th-17th September

Who doesn't like an 'easy win'??
Why is it useful to know your blood pressure? In medical speak, blood pressure is "one of the four modifiable cardiovascular risk factors". More simply put, managing your blood pressure is a relatively 'easy win’, if you would like to minimise your chances of having a stroke or heart attack! Do we have your attention now? 

Many people have no symptoms of high blood pressure, so getting a test, even if you feel 'fit as a fiddle', is the only way to know for sure. 

What do the numbers mean? 
Blood pressure readings come in the form of 2 numbers. The first, higher number is the systolic pressure, when your heart pushes blood around your body. The second lower number is the diastolic pressure, when your heart relaxes. A text book normal blood pressure would be 120/80 which means 120 systolic over 80 diastolic, and a systolic number over 140 or a diastolic number over 90 (on single readings) would be considered high blood pressure. The diastolic and the systolic numbers are equally important, so even if you are just high in one of the other, it’s worth investigating.

Testing your blood pressure at home or in clinic
Monitoring your blood pressure need not be expensive, and can be free via one of the many testing centres, including your NHS GP, where there might even be a monitor in the waiting room. However, testing from home has many advantages including convenience, and removing the possible impact of ‘white coat syndrome’. Omron make excellent home BP monitors which can be bought online or from your local chemist for under £40. 

How to test
When monitoring yourself, we suggest taking 2 readings in the morning, 2 in the afternoon, over 5 days. You should be seated at rest. Take the average of all the systolic readings and the average of all the diastolic readings over that period, to give you an average overall reading. Happily, Winchester GP has put together a spreadsheet template, which you can download here- if you just pop your numbers in to the relevant columns it will do the maths-ing for you! If the average systolic number is higher than 135, and/or if the average diastolic number is above 85, this would be considered an elevated reading and worth managing. (Remember, diastolic and systolic are equally important) Don’t panic- there’s lots that can be done, both through lifestyle changes and/or medication. Just book an appointment with a friendly empathetic GP, and let them explain the options to you. Happy measuring!!