Can preventative testing reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease?

In 2023, the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) lowered the risk threshold for offering statins to prevent cardiovascular disease. This change aims to ensure that more people who could benefit from statins can access the medication, thereby reducing their risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

However, a recent article in the British Medical Journal, published by General Practitioner 2024 Sam Finnikin and colleagues, challenges whether this widespread use of Statins is the correct approach. It raises concerns about the reduced benefits for lower-risk patients, suggesting that for some individuals, the benefits may not outweigh the harm. In addition, it argues that the decision will add extra workload for GPs already spending considerable time managing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Finnikin suggests that instead of relying on cardiovascular risk estimates when attempting to prevent the growing prevalence of cardiovascular disease, more focus should be put on individual circumstances, ensuring patients receive high-quality information and support that enables them to make informed decisions.

At Bluecrest Wellness, we are committed to providing people with the health insights they need to live a healthier lifestyle.. In this article, we explain how preventative testing can offer valuable insights into your heart health, enabling you to take proactive steps to improve your overall wellbeing.

What is cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term used to describe a disease of the heart or blood vessels. It is a catch-all phrase that includes a range of common heart illnesses, like:

• Heart attacks
• Angina
• Heart failure
• Stroke
• Peripheral arterial disease
• Aortic disease

What are the causes of cardiovascular disease?

The exact cause of CVD isn’t clear, but many factors are known to increase one's risk of developing it. These risk factors can be divided into modifiable and non-modifiable risks. Modifiable risk factors, are things you can change to reduce your risk of heart disease like:

• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Inactivity
• Being overweight or obese
• Diet
• Alcohol consumption
• Non-modifiable risk factors are the things you cannot change and include:
• A family history of CVD
• Your ethnic background
• Age
• Gender

The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing heart disease. So, by taking proactive steps to understand your risk factors, you can lessen modifiable risks and ensure you stay in optimum health for as long as possible.

For example, if you have high cholesterol levels, you can try to be more active and incorporate more heart healthy foods into your diet to lower your risk.

How can private heart tests help reduce your cardiovascular risk?

Private heart health tests can help you uncover key health metrics that show you may be at higher risk of developing CVD so you can take action to lessen your risk.

For example, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels are all modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and knowing if you have high levels can enable you to take steps to try to reduce them. This can include lifestyle changes, like trying to lose weight or reducing your intake of certain foods, but can also mean starting medications, like statins to reduce your cholesterol levels or tablets to help lower your blood pressure.

Steps you can take to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease

Depending on your risk factors, there are many ways to help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease:

Reduce your cholesterol

High cholesterol is one of the leading causes of preventable CVD. There are two types of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein, known as ‘good’ cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), known as ‘bad’ cholesterol.

High levels of LDL are bad as they can cause a build-up of plaque in arteries, narrowing them and restricting blood flow and increasing your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Statins are commonly prescribed to help people reduce their cholesterol, with NICE guidance recently having lowered the threshold at which GPs can begin patients on the medication. However, lifestyle changes, like eating healthily, reducing the amount of food high in saturated fats, losing weight, and getting more active, can also help and are encouraged alongside any medications.

A private cholesterol test is a fast and accurate way to determine your cholesterol levels so you can take the appropriate next steps.

Stop smoking

Smoking is bad for your heart health for numerous reasons. Not only does it cause the artery walls to narrow, which can increase the risks of clots forming and lead to a heart attack or stroke, but it also causes high blood pressure, speeds up your heart rate and reduces your tolerance of good cholesterol.

Stopping smoking can improve your heart health, help lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels. The NHS offers guidance to get you started.

Lower your blood pressure

High blood pressure can put extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, including your brain, kidneys and eyes. The best way to reduce blood pressure is to eat healthily, stay active, reduce alcohol intake, and stop smoking. However, some people also benefit from taking blood pressure-lowering medication.

Lose weight

If you are overweight or obese, you may have abnormal levels of fat in your blood and, as a result, higher blood pressure, which puts extra strain on your heart. However, losing weight can help lessen the build-up of fat in the blood and help reduce your risk of developing CVD.

Eat healthier

Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help reduce your risk of developing CVD. To lower your cholesterol, it’s important to reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat. Foods high in saturated fat include processed foods like sausages, bacon, and biscuits, lard, dairy products like hard cheddar and cream, and fried foods.

Get more active

Your heart is a muscle, so regular exercise can make it more efficient like any other muscle in your body. Aerobic exercise is the best for heart health. Remember that you don't need to start running to see benefits; even gentle activities like walking, gardening, swimming, and dancing are effective. The NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week.

Reduce your alcohol consumption

Like smoking, drinking too much alcohol can affect your heart health in several ways. In addition to increasing your blood pressure, it can cause irregular heartbeats and cause you to put on weight.

By reducing how much alcohol you drink, you can help to improve your heart health.

Lower your blood sugar levels

Having diabetes can put you at increased risk of developing CVD. Keeping a check on your blood sugar levels can be important to managing your risk.

An HbA1c test shows your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months, so it gives a good indication as to whether you are more at risk of developing diabetes and need to make lifestyle changes, like improving your diet, reducing your intake of sugary foods and drinks and getting more active.

Should I consider taking statins to reduce my risk of heart disease?

If you are at high risk of CVD due to high cholesterol, your GP may advise you to consider taking preventative medications, usually statins, to help reduce your risk. However, weighing the benefits of these medications can be challenging, as everyone's health and wellbeing journey is unique.

Although statins are widely used to treat high cholesterol, like any medication, they come with potential side effects, and some people are resistant to taking them simply because they don’t want the burden of taking regular medication. A personalised approach is needed moving forward to ensure that people get the right information and support they need to make more informed decisions about medication and lifestyle changes.

How can I access preventative health tests?

In the UK, preventative tests for your heart health form part of an NHS Health Check. People aged 40 to 74 are eligible for a free NHS Health Check every five years.

However, if you are keen to take a more proactive approach to managing your heart health and general wellbeing, you can book a private health MOT with a private provider, such as Bluecrest Wellness.

We offer a range of full health MOTs, which can provide comprehensive insights into your health, including heart health and stroke risk. These MOTs combine test results from your health assessment, including your cholesterol, BMI, and blood pressure, with other common risk factors to show you the likelihood of your suffering from heart disease or stroke in the future.

Book heart health tests

If you are keen to know more about your heart health and general wellbeing, learn more about our full body health MOT with Bluecrest Wellness.

Our health MOTs are a cost-effective way to gain key insights into your heart health. Not only do you receive a complete Results Report, but you also benefit from our free 24/7 GP helpline for an entire year, enabling you to access the support you need to make any changes to improve your heart health.