Len's story

My GP told me I was a ticking time bomb!

''After a routine health check with my surgery, I discovered my cholesterol was sky high.  I had never really bothered about my cholesterol before, and in my mid-60s I considered myself fit and healthy. I enjoyed walking Romy our dog, did a lot of trekking, and went to the gym a couple of times a week and although I was a little overweight I never worried.    But after my GP told me my total cholesterol was off the scale at 12.3 mmol/L, I began to realise how serious this was as I knew high cholesterol can lead to strokes and heart attacks.  My GP immediately put me on statins and quite firmly told me I had to change my lifestyle as I was a ticking time bomb. He directed me to HEART UK’s website where my journey began.

I was determined that I had to help myself – the medication would assist, but it was down to me to cut out those sausage rolls, pork pies, custard creams and crisps that I loved so much.  I have HEART UK’s Healthy Eating guide pinned on my fridge door and it’s my bible. My diet is now largely plant-based and I eat more fruit and vegetables than ever before.  I swapped semi-skimmed milk to soya milk, and butter for spread fortified with plant stanols, and I now eat very little cheese. I also take note of the nutritional information on food packages, avoiding anything high in saturated fat.  My wife and I cook from scratch all the time whereas before my diagnosis we might be tempted by the odd ready meal!    HEART UK’s website and resources have helped me change my entire lifestyle.  I have used their Helpline to iron out a few concerns about my diet and I have even started doing more of the cooking and experimenting with some of the recipes on their website which are fantastic.

I went back to my GP for a follow-up appointment a year later and my cholesterol is now 3.5 mmol/L.  I have lost just over 10kgs and am now a healthy weight and feel really well.  My GP is delighted with my progress and has halved my statins and reduced my blood pressure medication too. It’s not been easy. You have to have the right mindset if you want this to work for you but I am determined to keep my cholesterol at bay. 

I am so grateful to HEART UK for all their help and support.  I plan to do the ‘Thames Bridge’ challenge in September 2024 to help raise funds so they will always be around to help other people like they helped me.''