Around 7.6 million people in the UK are living with heart and cardiovascular diseases, so it’s likely you know someone who has experienced a heart attack, stroke, or other event.
Interestingly people tend to think that men are at higher risk of heart disease than women, and that is correct… until you reach the age of 55, where hormonal changes can cause women’s cholesterol to be higher than men’s.
We’ve seen more buzz than ever around women’s health in recent years, from menopause to menstruation. And with this, we have also seen growing conversations around these topics, but there still seem to be some conditions that affect women that are not openly talked about, like high cholesterol.
What do we need to know?
When it comes to heart disease and prevention, what many people may not realise is that this can often be linked to high cholesterol.
More worryingly there also seems to be a more general lack of knowledge around cholesterol. A recent survey by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK revealed that within the nation’s older generation – those over 55 – nearly two thirds of people (64%) between the ages of 55-64 have never worried about their cholesterol levels, and 1 in 10 do not know how to manage their cholesterol levels.
Ladies, it’s time to speak up!
Despite women being just as much – if not more – at risk of heart attacks, stroke, or other cardiovascular events from high cholesterol, men seem to be more proactive in seeking and receiving support for their cholesterol. In fact, almost two thirds of women aged 55+ (65%) have never even worried about their cholesterol. 3
While women are more likely to seek out support for any health concerns, when it comes to cholesterol, women have been found to be far less likely to talk about it. Almost one in three women (30%) have not spoken to a healthcare professional about their concerns, creating little opportunity to learn about cholesterol and its effects. 3
The survey also showed that more men than women have spoken to GPs and healthcare professionals about their cholesterol. 3
Let’s chat cholesterol
Without speaking about your concerns and understanding the risks associated with high cholesterol, it can be difficult to know how and why it is important to make changes to your lifestyle. It might be worthwhile starting the conversation with your family members, to get the ball rolling on speaking up and learning about cholesterol.
This is especially important if you’ve suffered from a heart attack, or other event, in the past. That goes for the men out there too. Of those who have suffered an event previously, research shows that one in ten men don’t know, or haven’t thought about making any lifestyle changes to manage their cholesterol. 3 This is a huge issue, because on average, 47% of people who have had a heart attack or other event are likely to have another one within just 114 days. That’s less than 4 months!
Whilst almost half (47%) of men have made changes to their lifestyle following a cardiovascular event, less than two fifths (39%) of women have done the same. 3
So, if you’ve had a heart attack, stroke or other health issue in the past, are concerned about a potential event in the future, or even would just like a bit more information on cholesterol management, you should speak with your GP, nurse or local pharmacist, to outline a plan to help you maintain a healthy level of cholesterol. As part of that, it is important to make lifestyle changes to support this.
Try these top tips to help improve your cholesterol and remember, it’s never too late to get back in the game!
- Losing weight – losing even a few extra pounds can help lower your cholesterol levels.
- Exercising – moderate physical activity can help raise HDL cholesterol, which can help maintain healthy overall levels.
- Eating a heart-healthy diet – reducing saturated fats and increasing soluble fibres in your diet can help control your LDL cholesterol levels.
- Reducing your alcohol intake – a healthy intake of alcohol means no more than 14 units a week. If you want to cut down, try having several drink-free days each week.
If you want to find out more about cholesterol, check out the NHS website. As with any health concern, always consult your GP for specific advice.
This article has been sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK
1 British Heart Foundation. Heart statistics – Heart and Circulatory Diseases in the UK. Available at: Heart statistics – Heart and Circulatory Diseases in the UK | BHF. Last accessed August 2022.
2 Forward. How does high cholesterol affect women and men differently? Last accessed August 2022
3 Novartis Data on File. MLR FUSE ID Number 223838 (UK_DOF_CV005).
4 Cleveland Clinic. Women or Men – Who has a higher risk of heart attack? Available at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/women-men-higher-risk-heart-attack/. Last accessed August 2022.
5 Novartis Data on File. MLR FUSE ID Number 176447 (UK_DOF_CV001).
