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Fats are providing an increasing proportion of our food. The fat we eat is derived from either animal or vegetable sources. One in four of us is born without the ability to cope easily with animal fat, which is saturated fat or cholesterol.

This cholesterol may get deposited in the walls of our arteries and reduce the flow of blood. If the arteries affected are in the heart, angina or even a heart attack may be caused. Elsewhere excessive cholesterol deposits may cause strokes, circulation problems, raised blood pressure and early senility.

Screening for high cholesterol can be done by a simple routine blood test. A more accurate result is found after a 12 hour fast when the laboratory will usually produce figures showing two different types of cholesterol – the high density and low density lipoproteins. It is only the low density, (LDL), which is harmful, and much can easily be done to keep it low:

• Diet advice is really helpful. Animal fats can be reduced by avoiding butter, high fat cheeses, cream, fatty and streaky bacon, red meat, sausages and pastry. Semi-skimmed milk contains about half the cholesterol of ordinary milk.

• Exercise, especially if regular and vigorous reduces LDL.

• High fibre diet lowers LDL.
  

• One unit of alcohol a day changes a proportion of bad LDL into beneficial HDL.

• Drugs called statins are often valuable if other methods fail. Improved drugs are becoming more available.

If cholesterol levels are high it is important for brothers and sisters to have the blood test done, as well as children by the age of 40. 

Today so much can be done if we have a high cholesterol level in our blood. Treatment need not involve an uninteresting diet. Much good health and healthy longevity depends on us living with normal cholesterol.

Get the blood test and KNOW YOUR NUMBER !!!!!