National Cholesterol Month – a great incentive to book a blood test!

October 01 2021   |   News

October is National Cholesterol Month – a whole month dedicated to raising awareness and offering advice about the health dangers associated with high cholesterol.

It’s an important event and one we fully support because it helps to drive home the message of just how crucial it is to get cholesterol levels checked by having a simple blood test.

Awareness is key

Cholesterol is known as the silent killer. It may sound pretty melodramatic but there is some justification because it creeps up on you without warning as it comes with no outward signs or symptoms.

More than a third of adults across the UK have raised or borderline cholesterol levels so you can see just how important it is to have a blood test to get it checked and addressed quickly to avoid potentially serious health problems in the future.

You can book your blood test with Summerfield Healthcare, it’s easy to arrange and you can rest assured that you will always be in good hands with our team of highly qualified healthcare professionals.

It’s also worth pointing out that a blood test to check your cholesterol is also carried out by our team as standard when you book one of our comprehensive health checks – just part of the excellent service you get when choosing Summerfield Healthcare.

Why it’s important

There are different types of cholesterol, we all need some but having too much can spark more serious health issues. The two main types we are going to focus on here are High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol, “Good Cholesterol”, and Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol, or “Bad Cholesterol”.

Having too much Bad Cholesterol can lead to a blockage of the arteries and ultimately lead to more serious conditions if left unchecked, while Good Cholesterol helps prevent disease by proteins helping to carry the cholesterol to the liver where it can be broken down and removed from the body.

The older you get the more likely your cholesterol levels will rise and people are often more at risk due to:

• The jobs they do – sedentary work such as long hours sitting at a desk, professional driving or working on a production line.
• Taking little or no exercise.
• Cholesterol running in the family.
• Unhealthy eating.
• Smoking.
• Having other health issues, such as diabetes.
• Being overweight.

It should be remembered that, while these are important indicators, there are no hard and fast rules about having high levels of cholesterol and anyone can be affected at any time. 

All adults should have their cholesterol checked regardless of their age and how healthy they feel. A blood test will tell you what your total cholesterol to HDL ratio figure is with anything above 6 considered too high.

A blood test is the only way of knowing for certain what your cholesterol levels are and if they are giving cause for concern – you can then talk through with your doctor any course of action.

Preventive measures can involve making some changes to your exercise and eating habits and there is also medication available should it be deemed necessary – but the first step is to book a blood test to get those levels checked!