High cholesterol (hyperlipidaemia) Ngako to teitei

High cholesterol levels can be caused by:

• being an unhealthy weight
• having too much body fat, especially around your middle
• having an unhealthy diet
• not being active enough each day
• drinking too much alcohol
• smoking
• diabetes.

High cholesterol can also run in families, including a condition known as familial hypercholesterolaemia.

We eat different types of fats and they have different effects on our cholesterol levels. Eating a lot of unhealthy fat can lead to higher cholesterol. This includes fat in:

• meats, especially processed meats
• chicken skin
• full fat milk and milk products
• butter
• coconut cream and coconut oil
• many takeaway foods.

Eating well for good health

Guide to eating for a healthier heart — Heart Foundationexternal link

High cholesterol does not usually cause any symptoms. You will need a blood test to check for it.

Having very high levels of cholesterol is called hyperlipidaemia. This can:

• make your blood vessels narrow (atherosclerosis)
• reduce blood flow
• increase your chance of getting a blood clot
• lead to serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and peripheral vascular disease.

Heart attack

Stroke

Transient ischaemic attacks

High cholesterol is just one of the risk factors for heart attack and stroke.

Your healthcare provider can help you do a heart risk assessment or you can do it yourself. A heart risk assessment gives an estimate of how likely you are to have a heart attack or stroke within the next 5 years. It takes into account your health and risk factors.

The age you should start having heart risk assessments depends on your sex, ethnicity and other risk factors.

Heart risk assessment

Your healthcare provider can organise for you to have a blood test to check the levels of your cholesterol and other important blood lipids.

Lifestyle changes

Eating more healthy fats can help lower your cholesterol levels, improve your health and reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes. Healthy fats are in:

• liquid plant oils such as canola, olive and sunflower oil
• avocados
• nuts
• seeds
• oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel.

Eating a wide variety of whole foods like vegetables and fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds is also important for heart health.

Eating well for good health

You can also help to improve your cholesterol levels by:

• being a healthy weight
• staying physically active
• reducing how much alcohol you drink.

Medicines to lower your cholesterol

Along with lifestyle changes, cholesterol-lowering medicines can be an effective way to help bring down your cholesterol level and reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Your healthcare provider can talk with you about the risks and benefits of starting cholesterol-lowering medicines, so you can decide together whether or not to use them.

Statins

One group of medicines that can lower cholesterol levels are called statins. These medicines are especially recommended if you have signs of heart disease (angina or heart attacks) or have had a stroke or mini stroke (a transient ischaemic attack or TIA).

Statins are well proven to reduce the chance of having another heart attack or stroke, even if your cholesterol level was normal.

Statins can also prevent heart attacks and strokes in people who have an increased risk. To find out your risk, you can have a heart risk assessment.

Heart risk assessment  

Like all medicines, statins have a risk of side effects, though most people take them without having problems.

Nearly all of the side effects from statins are temporary. They usually go away if you reduce the dose and then slowly increase it again, or if you stop taking them on advice from your healthcare provider.

If you think you have a side effect or are worried about getting one, talk with your healthcare provider before stopping your statin medicine.

Statins — My Medicinesexternal link

Other less commonly used medicines are ezetimibe and fibrates.