Heart and stroke charity Croí is calling on all those over 45 to have their cholesterol level checked the next time they visit their GP.
The call comes after new research from the Galway-based charity revealed that the majority of people (83%) do not mention cholesterol when thinking about their heart health.
They will be hosting a webinar on ‘The Role of cholesterol in heart disease’ with expert speaker Dr Susan Connolly on Thursday November 24 at 7pm.
People can register in advance for this webinar here.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a silent, invisible disease that creates a large health and economic burden on society.
ASCVD is caused by a fatty build up in the lining of the artery walls and is a major driver of heart attacks, strokes and death.
It is often invisible or unnoticed, as most people do not experience any significant symptoms until the atherosclerotic plaque unexpectedly ruptures, causing a heart attack or stroke.
Neil Johnson, CEO of Croí, said that ASCVD is the underlying cause of 85% of heart and stroke-related deaths.
“It is worrying that most over-45s in Ireland do not know about this risk factor. This means that there is a large ‘invisible’ cohort of the population who are not focused on reducing their chances of a heart attack or stroke, and I would encourage them to visit www.croi.ie/ascvd to learn more about ASCVD and cholesterol,” he said.
“It is time we put atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease higher on the political and health agenda to have a positive impact on public health in Ireland and globally.”
Visit croi.ie/ascvd or invisiblenation.com or follow #InvisibleNation #ASCVD #Cholesterol for more information.
