Guidelines recommend that patients who have Chronic Kidney Disease, Coronary Heart Disease, Peripheral Arterial Disease or Stroke/TIA would benefit from taking a statin. Even if your cholesterol is normal, research has shown that taking a statin has been proven to lower mortality and is highly recommended for any of these conditions. This is known as secondary prevention.
There are also benefits gained from diet and lifestyle changes.
Several foods that can actively help to lower your cholesterol as well as reducing mortality if you have one of the above mentioned diseases.
Diet – Cutting down on saturated fat and replacing some with unsaturated fats is a great way to lower your cholesterol. Foods which contain unsaturated fats include:
- vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower, corn, rapeseed, nut and seed oils
- avocado, nuts and seeds
- fat spreads made from vegetable oils, such as sunflower and olive oil
- oily fish
Oily fish are a good source of healthy unsaturated fats, specifically a type called omega-3 fats. Aim to eat two portions of fish per week, at least one of which should be oily. A portion is 140g, but you could have two or three smaller portions throughout the week. Tinned, frozen or fresh all count e.g. salmon, sardines, pilchards, trout, herring and mackerel.
Avoid palm oil as, unlike other vegetable oils, they are high in saturated fat.
Please also consider the following;
Stop smoking
Reduce alcohol consumption
Lower blood Pressure
Weight (BMI)
Physical activity
Medication
The most used medication is called Atorvastatin, which can be increased in the future if required. It can be taken either in the morning or the evening. We would recommend that you start this medication to reduce your risk factors, therefore we have issued your medication.
If you have any concerns about starting this medication, please book into a group information session with our Practice Nurse. (It is not necessary to see a GP).
We ask that you book a blood test 3 months after starting your statin medication, so we can check how effective the medication has been, and yearly thereafter.
As with any medication, if you have any side effects, please stop taking them immediately and book an appointment with a GP to discuss further.
ALL OF THE ABOVE WILL BE DISCUSSED AND ANY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN OUR GROUP MEETING WITH HAYLEY.
