Blood Pressure & Cholesterol Tests
Blood pressure
High blood pressure (hypertension) significantly increases the risk of heart problems and strokes. Having blood pressure checked every year allows us to recognise hypertension in it’s early stages before it has had a chance to cause other problems. Early diagnosis also enhances the chance of natural methods being effective in its treatment.
Cholesterol
We need some cholesterol to stay healthy. However, if you have a high cholesterol level you have an increased risk of developing atheroma, these are small fatty deposits which develop within the inside lining of blood vessels. A build up of atheroma can cause heart disease such as angina, heart attacks and stroke.
By having cholesterol levels checked annually we can detect any increased levels at an early stage before the atheroma has had a chance to build up.
The next stage, if high cholesterol is detected, is to analyse an individual's lifestyle to see the likely causes of high cholesterol. The cause may be genetic but in the majority of cases environmental effects are found to be present. Environmental causes of high cholesterol include :- high levels of fat in the diet, high stress levels, insufficient exercise, underactive thyroid, too much alcohol and smoking. Too much stress and lack of exercise are major factors which, when rectified, can have a very significant effect on lowering cholesterol levels.