How Well can help you manage your cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance in the blood, and having too much (high cholesterol) can be dangerous.

There are no symptoms of having high cholesterol, but a blood test can tell if you have it.

High cholesterol can cause your blood vessels to become blocked, which increases your risk of experiencing heart problems or a stroke. It’s usually caused by lifestyle factors like eating too many fatty foods, not exercising enough, being overweight, smoking or drinking too much alcohol. In some cases, high cholesterol runs in families.

If you have any of the risk factors of high blood pressure, your GP may refer you for a blood test. From this, they may work out your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years. This is calculated using your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, height and weight and age, sex and ethnicity.

How to reduce your cholesterol

If your blood test shows you have high blood pressure, your doctor can offer advice on how to lower it. This may include both lifestyle changes and prescribed medication. Your doctor will usually recommend that you try to eat less fatty foods, and more oily fish, fruit and veg, and brown rice, pasta and bread. They’ll also suggest you try to exercise more, cut back on alcohol and stop smoking.

Medicine for cholesterol control

You may also be prescribed medicine to manage your cholesterol. The most common of these is statins, which work by reducing the amount of cholesterol your body produces. You usually have to take one a day for life.

To make sure you never miss a dose, why not get your repeat prescription delivered to your door? Well’s online prescription delivery service means you no longer have to worry about collecting your repeat prescription from a pharmacy.

You can either download the app or use the service through our website. Tell us which medicines you take, then we send the request to your GP for approval. Once it’s been approved, we ask you to pay for your prescription or provide proof of your exemption. Then our pharmacy team will dispense, check and send your medication in a discreet package.