Understanding what high cholesterol and high blood pressure can do to your body will help convince you that it’s worth keeping these two under control. On this website we’ve been speaking to the leading national and local experts on cholesterol and hypertension. Here is a flavour of what you’ll discover if you listen to the pieces on this site.

Cholesterol is a fat (called a lipid). It’s made in the body from some of the foods we eat. Your body needs cholesterol to work properly but too much can lead to heart disease and stroke. The government recommends a target level of less than 5 mml/litre. Do you know your level? And did you know that there are two sorts of cholesterol?

High cholesterol is not a disease in itself. But if the body has too much it can deposit in the walls of arteries, making them narrower. That can lead to angina, heart attacks and strokes. Combined with smoking and high blood pressure, the risk is greatly increased.

(For more information about the complications of high cholesterol see our pages on Cardiovascular Disease)

Why does Japan have a lower level of cholesterol than the UK? How did they find out that cholesterol increases our risk of heart disease?

It can be inherited as in Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH). But most often it’s down to you, your diet and your lifestyle. Alcohol, smoking and being overweight can all play a part. Find out if the way you live is affecting your cholesterol level.

The government recommends your total cholesterol level should be under 5 mmol/litre. But whether you receive treatment will depend on factors such as your age and weight and your medical history. If you’re over 40 and have never had a test, you should have one now.

The first line of treatment for high cholesterol will usually mean making some changes to what you eat (low fat) and making sure you keep active. If your level does not drop enough you’ll probably be prescribed a type of cholesterol-lowering medication. Statins reduce the amount of cholesterol you body produces.

The British Heart Foundation recommends that your blood pressure level should be below 140/85 mmHg. But you should talk to your doctor about what is an appropriate level for you. If your blood pressure is too high you increase your chances of having a stroke or heart attack. 40% of adults in England have high blood pressure. Here’s a guide to the numbers.

If you have high blood pressure your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body. This can weaken your heart and, because of the increased pressure, damage your arteries. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease such as heart attack or a stroke. It can also cause problems with your eyes and kidneys.

(For more information on the complications of high blood pressure see our pages on Cardiovascular Disease)

Hypertension doesn’t usually have symptoms. It’s sometimes called the “silent killer”.

The exact cause is not known but there’s strong evidence that there are several risk factors. They include smoking, obesity, drinking too much alcohol, having a family history, not taking enough exercise and eating too much salt.

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure you should have it checked regularly. You can go to the doctor or do it at home.

Treatment for high blood pressure will depend on your blood pressure levels and also on your risk of heart disease or stroke. There are several classes of drug and you’ll probably be prescribed more than one. Your doctor will decide at what level you need medication and what combination of pills you need. Here’s a brief guide to some of the names you might come across and some tips about how to take them.

There are some simple changes you can make to your diet and your lifestyle that are known to reduce your cholesterol and you blood pressure. Sometimes it can feel hard to get started but the changes aren’t that hard. Here’s a short introduction to some of them. There’s more detail in the following chapters.

The headlines here are low fat, low salt and plenty of fruit and vegetables. But it ain’t just what you eat, it’s the way that you eat it – that’s what gets results. As they say. Your doctor or practice nurse will have information about what’s good and what’s not. There’s a mass of information on the internet and you can find some of the best listed in the section on useful contacts and links. Here’s something to get you started.

Salt is a major risk factor for raised blood pressure and therefore increases your chance of having a heart attack and especially a stroke. Most of us eat too much of it, often without knowing, because it comes in processed food. If your blood pressure is too high your doctor will certainly tell you to eat less salt. Here are some valuable tips.

Not all fat is bad. But what’s called “saturated” fat can raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. Find out what saturated fat is and try to avoid it where possible. Some fat is sometimes described as “good fat”. This is unsaturated fat and some of these can reduce your cholesterol level. Here’s a rough guide to the good, the bad and the ugly.

Government guidelines say we should eat five portions a day. Not necessarily as easy as it sounds. Listen here for some advice on how to build fruit and veg into your day. Not sure what a “portion” is? Find that out here as well.

Ever have trouble figuring out what food labels actually mean? Sometimes they’re confusing and sometimes misleading. Knowing what to look for and making sense of labels is a useful skill if you’re trying to control you cholesterol or your blood pressure. Find out how to read labels properly with Barking and Dagenham dietitian Johanna Bates.

There’s no escaping it. A bit of exercise can lower your cholesterol and your blood pressure. It can reduce your chance of having a heart attack or a stroke. It can make you look better, feel better, even get a better job.

Make sure you warm up and cool down. Don’t overdo it. And learn what to do if you feel chest pain while you’re exercising.

It’s not all about joining a gym or playing organised sports. You can build exercise into your everyday routine if you know what to look for. Here are some useful tips to get you started.

Some top tips from our experts to keep your cholesterol and blood pressure under control.