Over three thousand cardiologists, 40,000 family doctors and 80,000 pharmacists, so numerous together for the first time, are on the front line to fight high cholesterol, which threatens the health of one in two Italians. According to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology in the last 10 years heart attacks in the under 40s have increased by 2% per year in proportion to those recorded in the over 40s and high cholesterol was the most relevant risk factor. Knowing the level from an early age is therefore crucial. This is why the “Your cholesterol” project was born, promoted by the Italian Society of Cardiology (Sic) with the support of the Italian Federation of Family Doctors (Fimmg), the Italian Society of General Medicine and Primary Care (Simg) and the Federation of Pharmacists Italians (Fofi).
Through the website www.iltuocolesterolo.it and with the connected and free CardioRisk app, a 10-year cardiovascular risk calculator, it is possible to measure the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and receive indications on the best strategy to keep it under control and reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular events. “It is a tool – explains Pasquale Perrone Filardi, president of Sic – to become aware of one’s degree of risk, also helping to insert the value of LDL cholesterol in the context of the clinical situation”. “We are witnessing an increase in cardiovascular events in young people, even under 40 – adds Ciro Indolfi, past-president of Sic – it is important that everyone knows the cholesterol values, from an early age also to bring out cases of familial hypercholesterolemia, a predisposition genetics to high cholesterol, in which the probability of heart attacks and strokes is very high”. “LDL cholesterol – continues Perrone Filardi – must be seen in the situation of the individual. In a person with no other cardiovascular risk factors, the desirable value may be less than 116 mg/dL, but in the presence of other factors, if the risk is moderate, it is get below 100 mg/dL, if the risk is high you need to go below 70 mg/dL, if it is very high it is important to keep LDL cholesterol below 55 mg/dL”. “We believe – concludes Andrea Mandelli, president of Fofi – in this alliance between cardiologists, general practitioners and pharmacists”.
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