Lifestyle changes can help lower lipid level

IF YOU or your partner in life and sleep suffers from sleep apnoea, you’d know first hand how disruptive it can really be. Now, a new study published in Respirology has identified a strong link between obstructive sleep apnoea and high cholesterol.

The analysis included 8592 adults across Europe who were diagnosed with hyperlipidaemia and were not taking lipid-lowering drugs. The levels of lipid were found to be heavily influenced by geographical location, with the highest total cholesterol recorded in Northern Europe.

“Our data clearly suggest that sleep apnoea may have a negative impact on lipid levels, which may in part explain the association between sleep apnoea and increased risk for cardiovascular disease,” said senior author Dr Ludger Grote, of Gothenburg University, in Sweden. “Patients with sleep apnoea therefore need careful management of all cardiovascular risk factors, including hyperlipidaema.”

There are lifestyle changes people suffering or prone to high cholesterol can make to reduce their lipid levels, including eating a healthy balanced diet and exercising.

Specifically replacing foods containing saturated fats and trans fats like fatty cuts of meat, butter, lard and processed foods and sweets with foods high in unsaturated fats like oily fish, nuts, eggs and seeds.

Eating a diet high in fibre is also a recommended way to reduce the amount of cholesterol in your body. Good sources of soluble fibre include oats, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, fruit and vegetables.