Keep your cholesterol in check to protect your heart

By making changes to your lifestyle and diet, it's possible to lower your cholesterol levels and protect your heart

Picture: iStock 

Most of us will be aware of the link between cholesterol and heart disease but are perhaps less familiar with why.

Its role in the development of heart disease has been extensively researched, best summarised by a meta-analysis published in The Lancet in 2007 involving 900,000 people from 61 studies.