One in three Dutch people has high cholesterol. Is your cholesterol level too high? Buy a home test here and easily gain insight into your cholesterol level, including Medical Interpretation & Advice from our doctors. High cholesterol has no symptoms, so it is important to have it checked regularly. Unnoticed, cholesterol can be much too high and contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease.

What is tested?

HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, LDL/HDL ratio, TC/HDL ratio, Total cholesterol, Triglycerides

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a substance in the 'fat' category. The body produces cholesterol itself, mainly in the liver. It can also be obtained in smaller quantities from food. Although cholesterol is often negatively associated with unhealthy eating and an unhealthy lifestyle, it is in fact indispensable for a number of important processes in the body. An excess of cholesterol, especially the bad form LDL cholesterol, is harmful.

Are there warning signs of high cholesterol? What are the most common symptoms of high cholesterol?

High cholesterol has no symptoms! That makes it dangerous, which is why it is so important to measure cholesterol yourself. Unnoticed, cholesterol can be much too high and contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease.

High total cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides; they all contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. But what exactly are cardiovascular diseases and what else contributes to their development? And more importantly, how can the risk be reduced?

In cardiovascular diseases, there is a narrowing of the vessels due to plaques that have formed in the vessels, also known as arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis. In addition to high cholesterol, there are many other factors that can affect the quality of the vessels and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease are:

• Hereditary predisposition
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Underlying diseases such as diabetes, rheumatism, and chronic kidney damage
• Overweight and lack of exercise
• Unhealthy eating and drinking
• Age and gender: men have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and the risk of cardiovascular disease increases with age
• Origin: Turkish, African (Sub-Saharan), Hindu, Asian-Surinamese, or Caribbean background. As the vessels narrow, less blood and oxygen flow to the tissues and organs. This affects all organs to a greater or lesser extent and leads to a variety of complaints. If it is so severe that a vessel is completely blocked, it is called an 'infarction'.

Some symptoms of arteriosclerosis:

• Slow-healing wounds on the legs or feet
• Leg pain during exertion, for example, when walking or cycling. The pain subsides when resting. This is called intermittent claudication.
• A constricting feeling in the chest and shortness of breath during exertion or emotion, which subsides with rest. Often there are also accompanying symptoms such as radiation to the jaws and nausea. This phenomenon is called stable angina pectoris or heart cramp. If these symptoms occur without provoking factors, i.e., without exertion or emotion, it is unstable angina pectoris and 112 should be called immediately.