Once you hit 40, the health chat around you starts to shift. Suddenly, your cholesterol score becomes a topic of dinner conversation; heart health stops being a future problem and starts being a priority right now.
With February being National Heart Month, we’re cutting through the noise. The stats are sobering: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the UK’s biggest killers, causing a quarter of all deaths in the UK, and with it affecting 7.6 million people in the UK, it’s one of the biggest drivers of premature death. But here is the part your standard GP appointment might miss: your cholesterol score isn't the whole story.
Keeping your ticker in top shape is about looking past single numbers. It’s about the team behind heart health – and that means blood pressure, inflammation, and metabolic health working in tandem. Let’s dive into what science says about protecting your heart for the long haul.
What Actually Matters for Heart Health After 40?
- Your cholesterol breakdown: it’s not just cholesterol.
- Your blood pressure: the silent force on your arteries.
- Your metabolic health: how you handle sugar and insulin.
- Inflammation: long-term inflammation can contribute to artery plaque.
- Vessel function: how well your circulation, and your vessel lining (endothelium) work.
As NICE guidance shows, trends matter more.
Why Getting Checked Matters
If you’re in England and aged 40 to 74, the NHS Health Check is designed to catch early risk. Yet, National Audit Office findings show that less than half of those who are eligible have actually attended. You can’t manage risks if you don’t know what they are.
The Big Shift: Heart Health is About Patterns (Not a One-Off Test)
A single “high cholesterol” result is just one marker taken on one day. That’s why UK guidance focuses on overall risk. NICE recommends QRISK3, a calculator that estimates your chance of a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years using factors like age, blood pressure, smoking status, and medical history. You can calculate your heart health with the NHS, here.
Why Cholesterol is important to Heart Health but is not the Full Picture
Why ‘Total Cholesterol’ is Misleading
Total cholesterol is a single headline number. It might look ‘fine’ while the more useful details are off; that’s why it’s much better to look at the full breakdown of lipid markers. Try HEART UK’s guide to cholesterol test results.
Breaking Science for Those with a Family history
For those with a strong family history, clinicians will look at:
- ApoB: a count of the particles that can get into artery walls. European guidance notes this is vital for those with high triglycerides or diabetes.
- Lp(a): a mostly inherited particle that can reveal hidden risk.
- The Future: researchers are studying lepodisiran, which has shown a 94% reduction in Lp(a) in trials. Larger trials are currently determining if this leads to fewer heart attacks.
What Else Counts? Metabolic Health, Circulation, and Inflammation
Your metabolic health, circulation, and inflammation are interconnected; when one is under strain, the others usually follow.
For instance, after 40, your body can become less efficient at handling sugar (metabolic health), leading to a state of insulin resistance. This doesn't just affect your waistline; it actually begins to send ‘confused’ signals to your blood vessel linings (circulation), making them less flexible and more prone to damage.
This damage then alerts your immune system and that, in turn, triggers a low-level, chronic "fire" (inflammation) that acts like a magnet for plaque build-up.
In fact, many scientists now feel inflammation is the biggest factor when it comes to heart health and is a central driver of heart disease, often independent of your cholesterol levels.
Blood pressure is also important. According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), high blood pressure is the UK's leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is associated with approximately 50% of all heart attacks and strokes. It can trigger a cycle of chronic inflammation, even if you have perfect cholesterol. Read all about blood pressure in our Naked blog.
Where Natural Support Fits:
Metabolic Gold: formulated for healthy lipid metabolism using bergamot, chromium and artichoke.
Natruflex Turmeric: supports inflammatory balance: a key part of plaque biology.
Black Garlic: supports your endothelium (vessel lining). Its key compound, SAC, helps protect vessels and maintain healthy blood pressure.
How to Support Heart Health, Naturally
Evidence circles back to the same unsexy wins, but doing something now is better than doing nothing.
- Daily Fibre: follow the BHF’s guide to cholesterol-lowering foods. Even ultra-processed mock meats can increase risk by up to 40%, according to some researchers.
- Move Most Days: resistance training reduces strain on the heart.
- The 1,000 Step Rule: a 2025 study finds every extra 1,000 steps reduces cardiovascular risk by 17%.
- Manage Stress: Chronic stress puts the heart under constant load; it triggers the amygdala to increase arterial inflammation. One study linked high psychosocial stress to a twofold increase in heart attack risk.
- Prioritise Sleep: poor sleep disrupts metabolic health. Furthermore, according to the world’s biggest sleep survey, when you sleep could be more important to heart health than how long you sleep.
- Manage Alcohol: high intake can damage heart function and spike triglycerides (fats). Making small changes can halve cholesterol levels over time.
Boost Your Knowledge and get an A* in Heart Health
- Read More: learn how to lower blood pressure naturally, with our Naked pharmacist’s blog.
- The Full Picture: find out why metabolic health is the secret to longevity. Check out Metabolic Gold, which not only ‘lower numbers’ but helps you process fats and sugars more efficiently, supporting that inner teamwork.
- For Natural Solutions: read our Pharmacist's guide to natural heart supplements.
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