Posted on: 27 September 2023
October is National Cholesterol Month, and West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is once again getting behind Heart UK’s campaign to prioritise heart health and raise awareness about the importance of managing cholesterol levels.
High cholesterol is a significant risk factor for heart disease, which remains a leading cause of death. During National Cholesterol Month, the Partnership wants to let people and communities know about the vital role cholesterol plays in cardiovascular health so they can make informed choices to protect their hearts.
Emily Turner, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Clinical Lead for the Partnership, said: "People have often heard about ‘cholesterol’ and probably know it’s not a good thing, but most people don’t know why or what they need to do. Sometimes people don’t want to know if they have high cholesterol because finding something that isn’t good for you can be worrying. Our intention throughput October is to inform people across all our communities, so together we can reduce peoples risks of heart attacks and strokes."
We invite everyone to join us in observing National Cholesterol Month by participating in our events, sharing valuable information with family and friends, and taking proactive steps to protect their heart health."
Througout the month of October, there will be activities, including:
- Information about cholesterol, its types, and the impact of high cholesterol on heart health – this will be available through our social media platform on X and Linkedin, along with radio and any other media outlets supporting. More information can also be found here Cholesterol & Cholesterol levels | HEART UK - The Cholesterol Charity
- Encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, with resources to help people adopt heart-healthy habits, such as maintaining a balanced diet, taking part in regular physical activity, and quitting smoking
- Showcasing inspiring stories of health experts working with people to manage their cholesterol levels, emphasising that heart health is achievable for everyone.
- Dispelling myths and misinformation about ‘statins’ and more information about the medicines used to lower cholesterol, including a webinar on research and practices in statin intolerance Yorkshire & Humber AHSN Events | Eventbrite
- Helping people identify if they might be at high risk of heart disease and sharing information on who should get their cholesterol checked.
There's more information about cholesterol on the West Yorkshire Healthy Hearts website. This is a project delivered by Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network and the Partnership, which ams to reduce the impact of cardiovascular disease and help prevent heart-related illnesses across the region.
For more information about our National Cholesterol Month initiatives, please visit National Cholesterol Month 2023 (heartuk.org.uk)