The Lloydspharmacy Cholesterol and Heart Check service gives you the opportunity to find out if your heart is as healthy as it could be. It estimates your risk of developing heart disease over the next ten years. This is known as a cardiovascular disease risk assessment.

You will get your results immediately and you will also receive a personalised action plan. This action plan will outline a number of the things you can do to keep your heart healthy.

Heart disease remains the UK’s biggest killer. It affects a large number of the population and every two minutes someone in the UK suffers a heart attack. Millions of us are at risk of developing heart disease over the next ten years and most people will know someone who is affected.

Although these figures are alarming, heart disease can be prevented by taking some simple steps.

For more information on heart disease visit our Health A-Z section

You are most at risk if you are over 40 years old and have one or more risk factors.

Answer the Cholesterol and Heart Check service ‘Am I at risk?’ questionnaire to see if the service is appropriate for you.

There are many easy steps you can take to reducing your risk of developing heart disease. The following are some of the steps you can take:

• If you smoke, give up

• You will first be asked to fill in a Cholesterol and Heart Check leaflet. A member of the pharmacy team will discuss your answers to ensure the test is right for you, as it is not appropriate for everyone

• You will then be shown into the consultation area and a member of staff will ensure you are sitting comfortably

• You will be asked for some information including lifestyle and medical history

•  Several measurements will then be carried out:

o Cholesterol (A test will then be carried out which involves a finger prick sample of blood)
o Blood pressure
o Lifestyle assessment

• This information will be placed into a computer system which will then generate your results

• The service should take approximately 10-15 minutes

Dependent on your results you will be offered lifestyle advice to help achieve a healthy heart. If appropriate, you may be referred to your doctor.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that helps your body to work properly. There are two main types of cholesterol:

• LDL (bad) cholesterol – Too much LDL can fur up your arteries, making them narrower. This is a major risk factor for heart disease

• HDL (good) cholesterol – helps to keep your arteries clean by taking excess levels of bad cholesterol back to your liver where the body gets rid of it

A raised level of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol is a major risk factor for developing heart disease. Cholesterol is also a major risk factor in stroke and has health implications for those people living with diabetes.

The steps you can take to reduce you cholesterol level are very similar to the steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing heart disease. These include:

• Eat a healthy balanced diet, especially low in saturated fats
• Watch your weight
• Take regular exercise

While the majority of people over 18 can have a test there are a number of situations in which the service would not be appropriate.  You can find out more in the Cholesterol and Heart Check leaflet or by asking a member of the pharmacy team.