Cholesterol is a type of fat in your blood. Most cholesterol is made by your body, but eating fatty foods can lead to high cholesterol levels in your blood.
Your arteries may clog up with the fatty cholesterol and this can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
You cannot tell or feel if you have high cholesterol so having regular tests from age 20 is a good idea, especially if you smoke, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of heart disease.
With treatment and lifestyle changes – including eating healthy foods, avoiding fried foods, reducing red meat, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight – the risks of complications from high cholesterol are much less.
You can get your blood cholesterol tested at participating Life Pharmacies. It’s a simple finger-prick blood test, and it’s one of the measures looked at to determine your risk of heart disease. Speak with your Life Pharmacist for more information.
