2023-11-08 13:01:00
While almost all Belgians (96%) know that too high a cholesterol level (hypercholesterolemia) can lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases, most of them have never measured it. However, cardiovascular diseases represent the leading cause of mortality in Belgium, with 31,000 deaths per year, according to an online survey carried out by the Day One agency among 1,000 Belgians in September on Wednesday.
A national awareness campaign has just been launched to raise public awareness of this issue.
According to the study, a majority of people questioned (80%), including 63% over the age of 50, have never had their cholesterol level measured. In addition, 66% of Belgians have never broached the subject with a health professional. These statistics are all the more striking given that one in two Belgians suffers from hypercholesterolemia, according to a parallel health survey carried out by Sciensano in 2018.
“A cholesterol level that is too high constitutes a latent threat to health and is too often ignored. Either because there are no symptoms, or because we have neither the time nor the motivation to change our lifestyle”, raises Philippe Van den Borne, cardiologist at ULB Erasme.
“Monitoring your cholesterol is (however) just as important as keeping an eye on other aspects of your health, such as quitting smoking, getting enough exercise, managing stress, controlling your weight and blood pressure, etc.” , he continues, adding that a simple blood test can measure cholesterol levels. A recommendation valid from the age of 40, particularly for measuring “bad cholesterol” (LDL). In the event of familial hypercholesterolemia (a genetic disease which affects one in 300 Belgians), it is even advisable to measure your cholesterol level before your forties, as part of a general cardiovascular screening.
Cholesterol (one of the lipids – fats – that circulate in the blood), as a “silent killer”, does not show any symptoms until it is too late, doctors warn. However, when it accumulates on the walls of our arteries and obstructs blood vessels, it can cause severe pathologies such as strokes or heart attacks.
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