HEART UK took its message on the importance of knowing your cholesterol to Westminster today. The nation’s leading cholesterol charity, organisers of the UK’s first National Cholesterol Week, set up cholesterol testing within the Palace of Westminster this afternoon. Local MP Justin Tomlinson not only attended this event, but also had his cholesterol tested.
“I am delighted to support HEART UK’s National Cholesterol Week. Heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK and if something as simple and as painless as a quick cholesterol test can make the difference between a long and healthy life or a shorter life expectancy, marred by illness, then I urge all my constituents to get their cholesterol tested as soon as possible,” said Justin after receiving his results. “All you have to do is make an appointment at your local GP’s surgery. A raised cholesterol reading is an excellent indicator of cardiovascular problems and so testing early is a good way of helping to keep your heart healthy. In my case, I will need to go for a further check up so I am grateful for this potential early warning.”
This Parliamentary Reception, sponsored by Welch’s Purple Grape Juice, was organised by HEART UK in conjunction with Chris Ruane MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Heart Disease. Aldo Zilli, the celebrity chef, also attended this event in his role as Ambassador to HEART UK. The author of Zilli Light and the owner of several renowned restaurants in London, he has lost several members of his family to problems associated with high cholesterol and so is a keen supporter of the work of HEART UK.
“I am delighted to be here this afternoon supporting HEART UK’s National Cholesterol Week,” he told MPs. “I am determined to raise awareness of the problems of too much cholesterol. Many people don’t fully understand how important it is to keep cholesterol in check or how to do it. People need to look at what they are putting into their bodies. Remember you only have one body and one heart.”
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is found naturally in the body, but high levels of it can cause the arteries to narrow. Not only does this force the heart to work harder to pump the blood around the body but if arteries that feed the heart become completely blocked the heart can become starved of oxygen resulting in a heart attack. Cholesterol is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood (mmol/L). According to guidelines laid out by the Joint British Societies, we should aim for a total cholesterol level under 5 mmol/l in order to keep our hearts healthy and an LDL cholesterol of less than 3mmol/l.
For further information on National Cholesterol Week, including an information pack supported by Shredded Wheat, please contact National Cholesterol Week Co-Ordinators Diana Butler or Rachael Gardiner on 01784 780093 or email Rachael at rachaelgardiner@echocoms.com.
HEART UK’s Top Tips for Beating Cholesterol
- Ask your GP or pharmacist about getting your cholesterol tested.
- Find out more about the dangers of high cholesterol and what you can do to change your level by logging onto www.heartuk.org.uk and www.optivita.co.uk
- Write out your reasons for improving your heart health and focus on this list if your willpower starts to waiver.
- Decide what you could change – try focusing on one thing at a time and make sure you set realistic and achievable goals.
- Keep a food diary to help you identify sources of saturated fats in your diet (butter, ghee, lard, full fat dairy foods, meat and meat products). Replace them with modest amounts of olive oil, rapeseed oil, soya, corn and sunflower oils and spreads based on these.
- If you smoke, try giving your heart a break and quit now. Phone the NHS Smoking Helpline for more details on 0800 022 4 332.
- Incorporate cholesterol lowering foods into your diet such as foods containing plant sterols and stanols; oats and oat products; nuts, especially almonds and walnuts; fruits, vegetables, beans, peas and lentils; soya based foods such as soya milk, tofu and textured soya protein.
- Check out labels. Compare foods to ensure you choose those lowest in saturated fat - foods that contain more than 5g saturated fat per 100g are high in saturated fat, while those that contain less than 1.5g saturated fat per 100g are low in saturated fat.
- Get physical. Being active helps lower your cholesterol and help improve your mood, help you feel good about yourself, relieve stress and depression and help you get in shape.
- Keep to sensible limits when drinking alcohol – 14 units a week for women and 21 units a week for men, spread throughout the week. A unit is half a pint of ordinary strength lager, beer or cider, or a small glass (pub measure only) of wine, sherry or spirits. A typical glass of wine works out at about 2 units, and a bottle of lager or a bottle of alcopop are each 1.7 units.