High cholesterol is when a person has too much of a fatty substance called cholesterol in their blood. It’s usually caused by eating fatty food, not exercising enough, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol. But spotting the condition can be difficult as it doesn’t cause any symptoms by itself.
The main symptoms of angina are noted by the NHS as chest pain that:
- Feels tight, dull or heavy – it may spread to your left arm, neck, jaw or back
- Is triggered by physical exertion or stress
- Stops within a few minutes of resting
Sometimes angina may cause sickness or breathlessness.
DON’T MISS
If you’re unsure what your cholesterol levels are, ask your doctor for a cholesterol test.
The health body advises: “Ask your GP surgery for a cholesterol test if you have not had a test before and you’re over 40, overweight, or high cholesterol or heart problems run in your family.”
You may require medicine to lower cholesterol if your levels are high.
But better than treatment is prevention, and there are a number of lifestyle changes you can make to keep your cholesterol levels in check.
Exercising for at least 150 minutes a week is also recommended.
Some good exercise to try when starting out include:
- Walking – walking fast enough so your heart starts beating faster
- Swimming
- Cycling
Smoking can raise your cholesterol, so stopping is also advised.
And you should try to avoid drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week.
