Why you should go to the doctor now, especially if you are over 50 and overweight | Cooking and eating

“Doctor, that cholesterol is bad is a big lie,” is what cardiologists are increasingly hearing from patients when it comes to high cholesterol. “Patients say they’ve read on the Internet that high cholesterol levels are not dangerous,” says cardiologist and professor Leonard Hofstra. “It’s a myth that high cholesterol can’t hurt.”

Worrying, says the Dutch Society of Cardiology (NVVC). Cholesterol is a fatty substance that can narrow blood vessels. This increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Incorrect information and unhealthy eating and drinking can have serious consequences. To find out more about how the Dutch think about cholesterol, Hofstra is launching the Nationale Cholesteroltest.

After the holidays, the amount of cholesterol in our blood can reach an all-time high. During Christmas dinners, we eat and drink too much and sit around too long. The average Briton eats 6,000 calories on Christmas Day, far more than the Nutrition Center’s recommended 2,500 calories for men and 2,000 for women.

Hofstra doesn’t expect the Dutch to get through Christmas any healthier than the Brits. ,,Also, we have two Christmas days in the Netherlands. And on New Year’s Eve donuts and champagne are added». Holidays pay off in the new year. “On average we gain half a kilo. Also, blood pressure and cholesterol rise.

“Large meals can be a trigger for heart attacks,” says Tamara Aipassa, a preventive cardiologist at Zuyderland Hospital and affiliated with the NVVC. In Sweden, people are more often hospitalized for heart failure during the holidays. However, Australian researchers have seen no such increase. According to Aipassa it is still too early to draw conclusions, even if there are factors that play a role. “Higher blood sugar levels and more insulin, but also an increase in blood pressure.”

Alcohol is always a culprit. Large amounts of alcohol can lead to it holiday heart syndrome, meets cardiologist Janneke Wittekoek. These heart arrhythmias are more common in young, healthy people. Aipass: ,, It probably has to do with alcohol and the substances that are created in the body when alcohol is broken down. They can change the cells that make up the heart.”

Hofstra advises everyone in their fifties and older to get their cholesterol under control, just like smokers and overweight people. Especially after the holidays. This can be done at the general practitioner or with a self-test. “Many people know what their blood pressure is, but not what their cholesterol levels are. My mission is for everyone to know these values”.

Sining once during the holidays isn’t the problem, says Aipassa, who is also a teacher at the Arts and Lifestyle association. “Christmas and New Year are only three of the total 365 days. It’s much more important to eat healthy the rest of the year.” A healthy lifestyle can help prevent disease, says Hofstra. “Of all the things that increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, cholesterol is the easiest to deal with.” With medications, but also by exercising more and eating healthier.”

For healthy cholesterol levels, it’s best to avoid saturated fat. And replace them with healthy fats. Saturated fats are easy to recognize because they’re hard at room temperature, says Sander Kersten. According to the professor of nutrition, metabolism and genomics, the healthiest alternatives to butter are olive oil, margarine and liquid cooking butter.

You don’t have to be a dietician to eat healthy, says cardiologist Annemieke Jansen, who, like Aipassa, is a member of the NVVC association of cardiologists’ prevention committee. A good place to start is the Mediterranean diet with lots of vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts. “With some dairy products, normal oily fish and little meat.”