If you have already experienced an event, keeping on top of your cholesterol is more important than ever.1-4
Speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist about testing and managing your cholesterol levels.
Having a heart attack or stroke can be scary and it can leave you wondering why it happened and what you can do to prevent it from happening again.
The good news is, you could cut the risk of another cardiovascular disease (CVD) event by making some lifestyle changes to help lower your cholesterol levels, and working with your doctor, nurse or local pharmacist to ensure you are on the most appropriate management plan for you.1–4
Though it is indeed possible to not only survive but also recover from a heart attack or stroke, it is important that you are aware of the risks factors and are working towards reducing your chances of another CVD event.5-8
The Get Back in the Game campaign aims to drive awareness of cholesterol as a major risk factor for CVD, as well as providing information and useful resources to support people who have experienced a cardiovascular event with the management of their cholesterol levels.
See how the campaign was brought to life in our ‘making of Get Back in the Game’ video:
Hear the real-life stories of Chetan and Lisa, two inspirational individuals who are living with CVD, and managing their cholesterol levels to ensure they can ‘Get Back in The Game’ and live full, active lives.
We also teamed up with cricketing legend Phil Tufnell to highlight that managing your cholesterol is key to maintaining heart health following a heart attack or stroke. After launching our ‘Get Back in the Game’ campaign with Phil and ITN Business, we took Phil across the nation, testing cricket fans on their cholesterol knowledge and raising awareness on the importance of cholesterol management. Following this, Phil brought his old teammate Mark Ramprakash back to their roots to meet the Middlesex Seniors Cricket team and hear from some of the players about how managing their cholesterol helped them to get back in the game after experiencing a heart attack.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for a family of conditions with common risk factors that affect the heart or blood vessels. It is usually the result of a build-up of fatty material inside the arteries (also known as atherosclerosis).9,10
If you have already had a heart attack or stroke, it is more important than ever to have your cholesterol levels checked regularly, at least once a year or more frequently if advised by your healthcare professional.11,12
Coronary heart disease (CHD)
Stroke
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
You can help reduce your chances of another heart attack or stroke by understanding what led to the first one.14 Though it is not yet clear what exactly causes CVD, there are many things that can increase your risk of developing it.9,10 By being aware of and managing the factors that are linked to the way you live your life, such as high cholesterol, you could help lower your risk of future CVD events.1,2,4,14
Factors that are linked to the way you live your life (known as modifiable risk factors) include:15
Other risk factors, that cannot be changed, include your family history, age and ethnic origin.15
Cholesterol is complicated. If you’ve had a cardiovascular event, you’ll be even more keen to understand what’s going on inside your body so you can keep your cholesterol levels in check. Cricket legend, Phil Tufnell explains in this short animation the importance of having your cholesterol levels checked and how to help lower the risk of ‘The Silent Enemy’, creeping up on you. Watch the animation below to learn more.
We all need both types of cholesterol in our bodies, but when levels of LDL get too high, it can be bad for our heart health.16
Though having high cholesterol does not usually cause any symptoms, it can block your blood vessels and significantly increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, especially if you’ve had one before.10 This makes checking and improving your cholesterol levels key in helping you manage your CVD and reducing your risk of having another event.3,4,11
Remember, anyone can have high cholesterol, whether you’re young, slim, or even otherwise healthy. You can’t feel it, so the only way to find out your cholesterol levels is to see your doctor, nurse or pharmacist and get them checked, especially your LDL.17
A cholesterol check involves a simple blood sample and the results can include different types of cholesterol, however, the one that you need to particularly focus on when looking to reduce the risk of another CVD event is usually your LDL (bad) cholesterol level.4,12
A finger prick test:
It’s quick and you only feel a small pinch – the results can be checked there and then.
A blood test:
A small sample is taken from your arm using a needle and syringe which will be sent off for testing.
Speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist about what you can expect from your cholesterol test and whether you need to fast for it.
It is important that your test results are explained to you as it will give you a good idea of your heart health and whether your current lifestyle and management plan is working for you.12,18 Ask your doctor to explain more about what your cholesterol results mean and provide a full breakdown of the different types of cholesterol and what levels you should be aiming for.
What do your cholesterol results mean?
Blood cholesterol is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood, often shortened to mmol/L. If you are considered at higher risk, due to already having experienced a cardiovascular event, please refer to the table below for the levels the NHS advises aiming for:
Total cholesterol | Lower than 5.0 mmol/L |
---|---|
Non-HDL cholesterol | Lower than 2.5 mmol/L |
LDL cholesterol | Lower than 1.8 mmol/L |
Speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you haven’t had a cholesterol test in the last 12 months and ask them to explain your levels so you know what you need to do to keep on top of cholesterol and get back in the game.
Please note these targets are specifically for people already living with cardiovascular disease. Target levels for healthy adults differ.
For those who have had a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke, cholesterol-lowering medications are usually needed to control cholesterol levels. It’s also important to have a healthy balanced diet to help manage cholesterol, as well as overall health. This includes eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions. Follow our top tips to help you achieve this.
The following nutritional guidance has been provided by HEART UK’s qualified Dietetic Advisor, Lynne Garton:
Opt for simple swaps to replace foods high in saturated fat with healthier options, like swapping butter for spreads made from vegetables and seeds such as olive, rapeseed, sunflower and soya oil. Find more healthier swaps on the HEART UK website.
Remember, all types of fat are high in calories and should be eaten sparingly, especially if you are managing your weight.
Whole grains include wholemeal bread, rolls, wraps, tortillas, chapatti, whole grain breakfast cereals, oats/porridge, brown rice, wholewheat pasta. Choose these instead of the refined, ‘white’ varieties. Read more about wholegrains on the HEART UK website.
No more than 14 units a week.
Once you have achieved these healthy foundations, there are other foods that can be included into your diet which have further cholesterol lowering benefits. Find out more in HEART UK’s Ultimate Cholesterol Lowering Plan (UCLP©).
Some peoples’ cholesterol levels are not controlled properly, despite being on lipid-lowering medication, leaving them at an increased risk of another heart attack or stroke.11,20,21
Catching raised cholesterol early can ensure optimal management, whether you’ve just been diagnosed with CVD, or have previously had a heart attack or stroke.1,3,4,11
If you’re currently on a treatment to control your cholesterol, you should still be having your levels checked every year, or more frequently, depending on how stable your condition is.11,12
Even if you have been prescribed lipid-lowering medication, you may need additional care to ensure that your cholesterol is managed properly, helping you stay at the top of your game.11,12,20,21
Speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist about managing cholesterol to help reduce the risk of another CVD event.
Please take a moment to complete the following - it’s completely anonymous so none of your personal data is stored. All responses will be pooled together and the collective results will be shared by HEART UK with Novartis for their information.
Before arriving here today did you know the difference between good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol?
Were you aware that high levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol can increase the risk of a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke?
Did you know that if you’ve had a cardiovascular event, and whether or not you’re on treatment to manage your cholesterol, you should be getting your cholesterol levels checked at least every year?
As a result of your visit here today, are you, or is someone you know or care for, more likely to discuss how to manage cholesterol with a healthcare professional?
The information provided on this web page is intended for general information purposes only. Information concerning any product is not intended to provide, or substitute, medical advice. This web page is in no way intended to offer medical diagnosis or patient-specific treatment advice. If you have a medical condition you should promptly see a medical doctor or healthcare provider.
If you get side-effects with any medication you are taking, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the information leaflet that comes in the pack. You can report side effects via the Yellow Card Scheme at https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/ (UK). By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of your medication.
References
UK | August 2023 | 218588-2
You are now leaving the Novartis UK disease awareness campaign webpage, in collaboration with HEART UK (heartuk.org.uk/Getbackinthegame).
This link will take you to web pages over which Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited has no ownership or control. Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited accepts no responsibility for the content, accuracy, or your use of linked websites.
This link will now take you to a webpage to which the HEARTUK.org.uk Privacy Policy will still apply.
You are now leaving the Novartis UK disease awareness campaign web page, in collaboration with HEART UK. (heartuk.org.uk/Getbackinthegame)
This link will take you to web pages over which Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited has no ownership or control. Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited accepts no responsibility for the content, accuracy, or your use of linked websites. This link will take you to a website to which HEARTUK.org.uk Privacy Policy does not apply.
You are solely responsible for your interactions with the forwarding website.
You are now leaving the Novartis UK disease awareness campaign web page, in collaboration with HEART UK. (heartuk.org.uk/Getbackinthegame)
This link will take you to the Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited website to with its own privacy policy applies, and not that of the HEARTUK.org.uk website that you are leaving.
You are solely responsible for your interactions with the forwarding website.