THIS month is National Cholesterol Awareness month, and with heart disease one of the biggest causes of death worldwide, it seems appropriate that a whole month is dedicated to highlighting ways of reducing this.

Cholesterol is a fat, mostly made in the liver. A certain amount of fat is required for normal bodily function, for example it forms part of the sheath that insulates nerves, allowing signals to pass down them.

Cholesterol is transported in the body by two molecules. HDL, or “good cholesterol” brings it from arteries to the liver where it is stored, while LDL or “bad cholesterol”, does the opposite.

The build-up of cholesterol in arteries puts us at increased risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. These three are often collectively referred to as cardiovascular disease.

Your cholesterol may be measured for a number of reasons. Between the ages of 40 and74, the NHS offers regular voluntary healthy heart checks, which aim to identify and treat risk factors including high cholesterol, before you suffer a cardiovascular event. This is known as primary prevention.

If you are unlucky enough to have had a heart attack or stroke, your cholesterol will be checked as part of an overall assessment aimed at preventing further events. This is secondary prevention.

Some adults younger than 40 and indeed their children, may be offered cholesterol checks if they have a strong family history of early heart disease.

The raw figures recommended are a total cholesterol of no more than five, or four in those at high risk, and an LDL of less than three, or less than two in those at high risk. Your HDL cholesterol should be more than one. All of these measurements are in millimoles per litre. If you have a cholesterol check as part of primary prevention, your “Q risk” will be calculated. This is the risk of a cardiovascular event in the next ten years, and is based on not just your cholesterol, but also weight, smoking status, blood pressure and gender amongst other factors.

If your risk is above ten per cent, evidence suggests that you may benefit from medication to reduce this risk. However, as most treatments are lifelong, you may agree with your doctor to have a trial of lifestyle improvements for three to six months, to see if the risk can be lowered.

When thinking about reducing your cholesterol and cardiovascular risk, there are fixed and modifiable variables. You cannot change your age, gender, or ethnic origin. However a wealth of lifestyle modifications exist that can help everyone. The government recommends all able bodied adults try to achieve 150 minutes of exercise every week, to help with weight control and heart health.

Smoking interferes with your good cholesterol and stopping is certainly encouraged. Try to avoid, or at least reduce your consumption of foods high in saturated fats, and add in two portions of oily fish a week.

If despite your best efforts you are advised to start medication, remember that this is not a failure, and the good habits you have picked up along the way are definitely worth maintaining.