Why is it important for me to lower my LDL cholesterol levels?

High cholesterol is one of the main risk factors for coronary heart disease (CVD), a general name for all diseases of the heart and circulation (Cardio – meaning ‘heart’, and vascular, ‘blood vessels’). The latest figures suggest a quarter of all UK deaths caused by CVD can be attributed to high levels of LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol*.

So, there’s no doubt that bringing your LDL cholesterol levels down is one of the most important self-help measures you can take to look after your heart and circulatory health.

But, far from seeing high cholesterol as a death sentence, you should view it as a helpful indicator of your future coronary heart disease risk – and more importantly, as something, you can take action to lower. This is one health problem we can all do something about, and diet and the food you eat plays a big role in getting your LDL cholesterol levels down.

Read more: How Benecol foods with added plant stanols can make your cholesterol lowering efforts go even further with a range of products that are simple to switch into your daily routine.

* British Heart Foundation (2020) Heart and Circulatory Disease Statistics 2020. Table 5.1. NB: ‘Bad’ cholesterol is defined as LDL cholesterol in this document.