Cholesterol: It’s More Than Just One Number

Mention cholesterol and many of us immediately think “high cholesterol = bad.”

But cholesterol is more nuanced than that.

Your body actually needs cholesterol. It plays an important role in making hormones, vitamin D and healthy cells.

The important part is understanding your cholesterol results as part of the bigger picture.

That’s why at KnowU, I’m much more interested in helping you understand your numbers than simply telling you whether something is “good” or “bad”.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in your blood. Some comes from the foods we eat, but much of the cholesterol in our bodies is actually made by the liver.

Because cholesterol can’t travel freely through the blood, it is transported in particles called lipoproteins.

This is where terms such as HDL and LDL come in.

What do the different cholesterol numbers mean?

If you’ve had a cholesterol test, you may have been given several results.

Total cholesterol

As the name suggests, this gives an overall measurement of the cholesterol in your blood.

It’s useful, but it doesn’t tell the whole story on its own.

LDL cholesterol

LDL is often described as the “bad” cholesterol.

We need to be a little careful with labels like good and bad, but raised LDL levels can contribute to fatty deposits building up inside the arteries over time, increasing cardiovascular risk.

HDL cholesterol

HDL is commonly called the “good” cholesterol because it helps transport cholesterol away from the arteries and back towards the liver.

Again, the important thing isn’t to look at one number in isolation, but to understand how the different results fit together.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are another type of fat found in the blood.

Our bodies use them for energy, but raised levels can be associated with increased cardiovascular risk, particularly when combined with other risk factors.

Triglyceride levels can be influenced by factors including diet, alcohol, weight, activity levels and how the body manages blood glucose.

Why does knowing your cholesterol matter?

High cholesterol usually doesn’t make you feel unwell.

You can feel perfectly healthy and still have cholesterol levels that may be increasing your cardiovascular risk.

That’s one of the reasons checking your numbers can be so valuable.

Knowing them gives you an opportunity to understand where you are before symptoms necessarily appear.

If something is outside the expected range, it doesn’t automatically mean something terrible is happening.

It means you have information.

Information gives you the opportunity to ask questions, explore what may be contributing and, where appropriate, speak to your GP or another healthcare professional.

What affects cholesterol?

There isn’t always one simple explanation.

Your cholesterol profile can be influenced by a combination of factors, including genetics and family history, age, hormones, the foods you regularly eat, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, body composition, certain health conditions and some medications.

This is another reason I don’t believe health conversations should begin and end with a number.

Context matters.

Can lifestyle make a difference?

For many people, lifestyle changes can form an important part of looking after cholesterol and cardiovascular health.

That doesn’t mean embarking on a restrictive diet or suddenly becoming a marathon runner.

It might mean gradually increasing the amount you move, particularly if you spend much of the day sitting.

It could mean adding more fibre-rich foods such as vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, wholegrains, nuts and seeds.

It might involve looking at the types of fats you eat, reducing smoking or alcohol, improving sleep, managing stress or working towards a weight that supports your health.

The right changes will be different for everybody.

Sometimes lifestyle alone isn’t the answer. Depending on your overall cardiovascular risk, family history and cholesterol results, medication may also be recommended by your healthcare professional.

Look beyond cholesterol too

Cholesterol is an important part of cardiovascular health, but it’s still only one piece of the picture.

Blood pressure, blood glucose, family history, smoking, age, activity, sleep, nourishment and other factors can all contribute to overall risk.

That’s why understanding your health works best when we connect the dots rather than concentrating on one result.

Read: Know Your Numbers, Understand Your Normal

When did you last know your numbers?

Many of us know our phone number, our PIN, our weight or even how many steps we’ve taken today.

But ask us for our blood pressure or cholesterol profile and we’re much less certain.

You don’t need to wait until something feels wrong to find out.

A health check can provide reassurance, identify something worth exploring further, or simply give you a baseline to compare with in the future.

A cholesterol check with KnowU

KnowU Wellbeing offers one-to-one health and lifestyle check-ins that can include a full lipid profile, looking beyond total cholesterol to help you better understand your results.

But the test is only part of the check-in.

We take time to talk about what your results mean in the context of your lifestyle, your circumstances and your goals, with practical next steps and appropriate signposting where needed.

No judgement. No lecture. Just useful information and a conversation about what’s going on for you.

Because knowing your numbers isn’t about looking for what’s wrong.

It’s about understanding what’s going on and deciding what, if anything, you’d like to do next.

Know your numbers. Understand your normal.