Cholesterol is a substance essential for normal functioning of the human body. It is a type of lipid (fatty compound) produced in the liver; it is also contained in food. Elevated level of cholesterol in the blood does not cause any immediate symptoms but it is a strong risk factors for cardiovascular disease, mainly heart attack.
Cholesterol circulates in blood bound to proteins in lipoprotein complexes. Some of the lipoproteins have protective effect, others are harmful.
Blood tests are available to assess either level of total cholesterol in blood (the lower the better) or for lipid profile which usually includes total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (high is good), LDL cholesterol (low is good), total cholesterol/HDL ratio (low is good) and triglycerides (low is good).
Cholesterol deposits in the arteries restrict the blood flow to brain, heart and the rest of the body. The cholesterol plaques also increase the risk of blood clots leading to a sudden occlusion of an artery which in brain would cause stroke and in heart a heart attack.The consequences of hypercholesterolaemia include:
Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) - a rare genetic condition which leads to very high cholesterol regardless of eating habits.
Genetic disposition - in most people the problem is not in one single gene (as is the case in FH) but elevated cholesterol is a consequence of interaction between many different genes.
Unhealthy diet - dietary cholesterol and saturated fats in the food obviously increase the level of cholesterol.
Smoking - some substances in cigarettes may block the transport of LDL from cells to liver, increasing its level in the arteries leading to the narrowing of the arteries; smoking also greatly increases overall cardiovascular risk.
Lipid profile or at least total cholesterol should be checked in people with:
Healthy and balanced diet with wholegrain cereals, fruit and vegetables is the first step to lower cholesterol. Quit smoking, reduce alcohol consumption to recommended limits (below 14 units a week) and do regular exercise. If the lifestyle changes are not sufficient, your GP or consultant may prescribe statins (e.g. simvastatin, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin) to reduce your level of cholesterol. The indication for statins is guided by a scoring system QRISK2. The first line treatment is normally atorvastatin 20mg once daily for patients with QRISK2 score 10% or more (i.e. with with 10% or higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years).