Cholesterol and heart health: the numbers worth knowing

Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in Portugal — and high cholesterol is one of the most silent, and at the same time most modifiable, factors.

5 min read

≈ 1 in 4

deaths in Portugal due to circulatory-system diseases

INE — Causes of Death statistics

−30%

cardiovascular events associated with the Mediterranean eating pattern, in landmark studies

PREDIMED (New England Journal of Medicine)

High cholesterol is not felt

High cholesterol, in the vast majority of cases, causes no symptoms at all. It is only known by measuring — usually through a lipid panel, a simple blood test.

It is worth knowing three values in plain language: LDL (often called "bad"), which in excess builds up in the arteries; HDL ("good"), which helps remove the excess; and triglycerides, another form of fat in the blood.

Why it matters over the years

High cholesterol contributes, slowly and silently, to cardiovascular disease — which remains the leading cause of death in Portugal.

The good news is solid: it is one of the most influenceable factors. It changes with habits and, when the doctor sees it as needed, with follow-up — which makes knowing it early an advantage, not a reason to worry.

When to measure

The lipid panel is part of routine adult blood work. The age at which it makes sense, and how often it is repeated, depend on your age and individual risk — something to decide with your doctor.

Knowing your numbers is the first step: it lets you and your doctor decide calmly and with time.

What helps day to day

Alongside medical follow-up, habits make a real and cumulative difference:

Move towards the Mediterranean eating pattern: vegetables, fruit, legumes, fish, olive oil and whole grains.
Stay active and do not smoke — two of the factors with the greatest impact on the heart.
Take the free check-up to see whether a lipid panel makes sense for you now — and take that question to your doctor.

Sources

Keep reading

Back to resources

4 min readVitamin D: what it is for and when it makes sense to measure it 5 min readWhy preventive health matters 5 min readThe cost of finding out late — and the value of acting early

Start your preventive check-up today

Make prevention a habit. Prepare your annual check-up and arrive at your appointment with the right questions — and a plan.

Start check-up