Cholesterol risk factor

Cholesterol is an essential component of healthy cells and is required to produce vitamins and certain hormones.

However, excessive cholesterol levels, leading to the development of atheroma within the arteries, can result in serious conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.

A 1mmol/L reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol reduces the relative risk of CVD by around 25 per cent.

Cholesterol results should be interpreted in the context of an individual’s overall CVD risk profile, emphasising the importance of early identification and management.

Target groups

There are three key groups of people for whom an increased focus on lipid management is particularly important:

• Those with risk factors for CVD who do not yet have established disease (primary prevention)
• Those with established CVD, such as previous myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, transient ischaemic attack (TIA), or peripheral arterial disease (secondary prevention)
• Those with inherited forms of high cholesterol. The most common is heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), which is associated with elevated cholesterol levels from birth and premature CVD within families.