High cholesterol is a major cause of heart disease in the UK and is responsible for over half of all heart related deaths. About 65% of people have never had their cholesterol level measured.

What is cholesterol?

It's a fatty substance found in the blood. It is manufactured naturally by the body but it is also obtained from fatty foods we eat. There are two types of cholesterol "good" and "bad", and it is important to know how much you have of each type. The more saturated fats you eat, the higher the levels of bad cholesterol will rise, and the lower the levels of good cholesterol will fall. Too much bad cholesterol increases your risk of coronary heart disease.

A quick and simple cholesterol test can determine whether you have high cholesterol. We can also measure the amount of good cholesterol present. The test requires only a pinprick of blood, which is collected in a small tube and placed on a test strip. The results area available in less than 5 minutes.