Patients with High Blood Cholesterol
For most people the level of blood cholesterol is the result of both diet
and lifestyle. If the level is high then it is particularly important to maintain
ideal weight, take regular exercise, eat a diet which is low in fat (particularly
saturated fat) and not to smoke. A further reduction in blood cholesterol can
be made by avoiding foods particularly rich in cholesterol.
Offal – e.g., liver, kidney, pate should be avoided.
Shellfish and Fish Roe-e.g., shrimps, prawns, cod roe should be avoided.
Occasionally very high blood cholesterol is the result of a defect which
is inherited. This requires special treatment. More information is available in
British Heart Foundation Chapter No. 16 “Hyperlipidaemia and Familial
Hypercholesterolaemia”.
Patients with Diabetes
Diabetics are at increased risk of coronary heart disease and it is
especially important for them to follow the pattern of low fat eating
described in this chapter. Fibre-rich foods are also particularly important and
foods containing simple sugars should be avoided. Diabetics also need to
pay special attention to keeping their weight under control. Diabetics should
discuss their diets with their diabetic clinic and /or general practitioner.
Patients with High Blood Pressure
As blood pressure increases, so does the risk of developing coronary
heart disease. So it is important to take steps to reduce high blood pressure.
The more overweight people are, the higher their blood pressure is likely to
be, so any excess weight must be lost. Alcohol can add a lot of calories to
the total for the day and in addition has a direct effect in pushing up blood
pressure. So it is important to limit the amount of alcohol consumed A modest intake of alcohol probably does no harm, but for those with high
blood pressure, the normal intake for men should not exceed two
drinks/units a day and for women one drink/unit a day. You should certainly
discuss your alcohol intake with your doctor. People with high blood
pressure also need to restrict the amount of salt they use. Salt should not be
added to food during cooking or at the table and foods with a high salt
content should be avoided. More information can be found in the chapter
“Is it Blood Pressure?” from the British Heart Foundation.
It may be a good idea to introduce the changes into your diet gradually.
For example, start immediately by reducing the visible fat in your diet.
Then substitute half the white bread you take for wholemeal bread and let
your body get used to the higher fibre intake. Some changes are easy and
can be made in the first week or two, others are more difficult to get used to
and may take one or two months but they should be made.