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Committing to cholesterol management in England

HPP supported multidisciplinary experts to produce a vision for change in cholesterol management as part of holistic cardiovascular disease prevention in England.

Committing to cholesterol management in England

Context

Cholesterol is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) – a leading cause of death and disability in England, as well as both a symptom and a cause of significant health inequalities.

CVD has a profound impact on population health and economic sustainability, affecting twice as many people in the UK as Alzheimer’s disease and cancer combined. The cost of CVD is predicted to total £54 billion in England and Wales between 2020 and 2029.

High cholesterol is a major risk factor for CVD. Medication and lifestyle interventions to lower cholesterol to target levels can significantly improve cardiovascular outcomes. Addressing cholesterol is therefore essential to reducing the acute pressures that CVD is placing on the NHS in England. Despite this, more than half of adults in England are living with high cholesterol. Cholesterol is not being effectively lowered for many people at risk of heart attack and stroke, and it often receives lower prioritisation than other risk factors in efforts to improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Ambitious, system-wide action is urgently needed to improve cholesterol management as part of a holistic approach to CVD prevention.

Project resources

Committing to cholesterol management in England

Report

Committing to cholesterol: preventing cardiovascular disease to secure the future of the NHS

What we’ve achieved

HPP has supported a multidisciplinary group of experts to produce a report reflecting a vision to drive change in cholesterol management and strengthen secondary prevention of CVD in England. The report is aimed at the UK government and health system leaders, and presents tangible, consensus-based recommendations for action across national, regional and local levels.

To inform this vision, we conducted a comprehensive literature review of academic publications, guidance, policy and reports on progress in cholesterol management in England over the past five years. This was followed by a consensus-building roundtable, which we hosted in August 2024 to provide a platform for experts to validate our findings and co-create recommendations for securing progress in cholesterol management.

Key partners and stakeholders

HPP would like to acknowledge and thank the following expert stakeholders for their contribution to this project:

  • Dr Sotiris Antoniou, Director of Clinical Services, Barts Health NHS Trust
  • Prof. Ahmet Fuat, Honorary Consultant Lipidologist, County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust; Honorary Professor of Primary Care Cardiology, Durham University; Past President, Education and Research Lead, Primary Care Cardiovascular Society
  • Dr Peter Green, Chair, HEART UK
  • Prof. Elizabeth Hughes, Consultant Chemical Pathologist, Sandwell General Hospital West Bromwich
  • Dr Naresh Kanumilli, Lead, Greater Manchester & East Cheshire NHS Clinical Network for Diabetes
  • Dr Nazish Khan, Consultant Pharmacist CVD and Cardiovascular Clinical Lead, Department of Cardiology (QEHB), University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; Cardiovascular Disease Clinical & Programme Lead, Health Innovation Network
  • Dr Martin Longley, Cardiovascular Disease Primary Care Lead, Dorset Integrated Care System
  • Liz Mallett, GP Nurse Lead, Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board; Council Member & Treasurer, Primary Care Cardiovascular Society
  • Dr Aseem Mishra, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Lead, Greater Manchester Integrated Care System
  • Prof. Julia Newton, Medical Director, Health Innovation North East & North Cumbria
  • Ebun Ojo, CVD Prevention Clinical Lead, NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board; Consulting Clinical Lead, LABCVD Ltd
  • Nick Pringle, Senior Advisor and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Programme Lead, Health Innovation East

The report is supported by HEART UK.

Project funding

This project was initiated by Amgen Limited. Amgen Limited provided funding to The Health Policy Partnership to undertake a literature review, coordinate a roundtable and write the report. Expert contributors were not paid for their time.

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