Today is Cholesterol Day: Time to do something good for your heart
Dr. med. Robert Schorn
June 6, 2025
3 min
In an interview with Dr Robert Schorn, Head Physician at the Nephrology and Dialysis Centre and certified lipidologist (DGFL), we have summarised some facts about cholesterol for you.
Fact 1: Elevated cholesterol increases the cardiovascular risk
An elevated cholesterol level increases the cardiovascular risk. Other risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, high blood pressure, smoking or a family history further increase this risk.
Fact 2: LDL target values are individual
The risk and therefore also the target LDL, the cholesterol value on which most treatment is currently based, is determined individually for each person. In the case of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease or peripheral vascular disease, chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus, risk classification is possible without a score. In these cases, there is usually a high to very high risk. Based on this risk classification, it is possible to determine which LDL cholesterol value should be aimed for.
Fact 3: Diet and lifestyle - important, but not always enough
A balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle play a key role in our health. Nevertheless, these measures sometimes reach their limits. In the case of elevated triglyceride levels, they are usually the treatment of first choice - ideally accompanied by qualified nutritional counselling.
The situation is different with an increase in LDL cholesterol: Here, a change in lifestyle can lead to a reduction of around 10 to 20 per cent. However, whether this is sufficient in individual cases depends on the individual starting and target values and should be carefully examined by a doctor.
Fact 4: Medication helps effectively
In many cases, lifestyle modification is not enough. Various well-tolerated medications are available. Lowering LDL cholesterol also dramatically reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
When should I have my cholesterol levels tested?
It is generally advisable to have your cholesterol levels checked once in young adulthood. In this way, congenital disorders such as familial hypercholesterolaemia can be detected and treated at an early stage.
In addition, the determination of cholesterol levels is routine for all patients who belong to certain risk groups (see Fact 2). This is an integral part of GP care.
Familial hypercholesterolaemia: more common than expected
- 1 in 250 adults is affected - this corresponds to around 30,000 to 35,000 people in Switzerland.
- The disease is genetic and hereditary.
- Many of those affected are undiagnosed - and therefore without suitable treatment.
- If left untreated, around 30 to 50 % of those affected will develop manifest atherosclerosis before the age of 50 - with a greatly increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
Therefore, the earlier familial hypercholesterolaemia is detected, the better the risk can be reduced through targeted treatment.
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