HC Deb 02 December 1987 vol 123 cc595-7W
Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in the light of recent research indicating the prevalence of high rates of cholesterol in British adults, he will launch a campaign along the lines of that in the United States, designed to encourage people to establish their own cholesterol level; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Currie

I am conscious that medical opinion in this country is evolving as new scientific results become available. Most doctors already agree that for families with a history of heart disease it is important to consider whether cholesterol levels are elevated.

The "Look After Your Heart" campaign, which was launched in April 1987, encourages people to follow a diet low in fat and particularly saturated fat, and to give up smoking. The effect of these changes could be expected to reduce average levels of cholesterol in the population as a whole. As the campaign develops, we will keep closely in touch with medical opinion on the question of cholesterol measurement.