HealthInfo Canterbury
High cholesterol
Te Matū Ngako Nui
This page has links to information in other languages.
Cholesterol is a type of fat called a lipid, which is made mainly in your liver. Your body needs it to function normally.
Having very high levels of cholesterol (called hyperlipidaemia) can make your blood vessels narrow, reducing blood flow and increasing your chance of getting a blood clot. This can lead to serious health problems, such as atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), heart attack, stroke, transient ischaemia attack (TIA) and peripheral vascular disease.
Causes of high cholesterol
High cholesterol can be caused by being overweight, having an unhealthy diet, smoking, and diabetes. High cholesterol can also run in families, so some people inherit it.
We eat different types of fats, and they have different effects on our cholesterol levels. Eating a lot of unhealthy fat (fat on meat, chicken skin and full-fat dairy products, butter and takeaway foods) can lead to higher cholesterol.
Ways to reduce my cholesterol
Eating more healthy fats (vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fish) can help to lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
As well as watching what you eat, aiming for a healthy weight, keeping physically active, and reducing alcohol can help to improve your cholesterol levels. Along with these lifestyle changes, cholesterol-lowering medicines can be an effective way to help bring down your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
If you've been told you have high cholesterol and a higher risk of heart attack or stroke, you can create an action plan for heart health. The Heart Foundation booklet Lowering your risk of heart attack and stroke has an action plan that you can work through with your doctor or practice nurse. It will help you work out the steps you can take towards a healthier heart.
More information
The Heart Foundation Guide to eating for a healthy heart gives advice on eating for a healthy heart. Posters of the guide are available in a variety of languages, including Te Reo Māori, Hindi, Chinese, and Pacific languages.
For more ideas on how to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, read the Heart Foundation's advice on managing your risk.
This factsheet explains how to get your cholesterol checked, and what to do about it. You can also read the page on Understanding your cholesterol results.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
Food for a healthy heart
- Heart Foundation Australia – Omega-3 supplements and fish oil don’t help hearts: new evidence
A recent research study questions the benefits of omega-3 fats for reducing heart disease.
- Heart Foundation
- Simple Steps to Healthier Eating
Simple steps you can take to add healthier options to your meals. Contains a simplified version of the Healthy Heart visual food guide.
Also available in Te Reo Māori, Hindi, and Chinese.
- Nutrition facts
The facts about alcohol, butter, coconut, eggs, dairy and salt and your heart health.
- Portion sizes
A fact sheet that shows you how to use your hand size to judge portion size.
- Simple Steps to Healthier Eating
Reading food labels
- FoodSwitch
This free smartphone app can help you to make healthier food choices.
- Healthy Food Guide – Supermarket shopping guide
Guidelines to help you choose the healthiest options in the supermarket.
Heart-healthy recipes
- Heart Foundation – Recipes
Healthy recipes in many different styles, including Asian, Pacific, meals just for kids, and meals for people with diabetes.
- Heart Foundation – Cookbooks
Free cookbooks to view and download online, or order free hard-copies.
On the next page: Cholesterol-lowering medicines
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed September 2018. Last updated November 2018.
Review key: HIHCH-53809
