QRISK 10% – 20% Letter

Many thanks for recently having your blood tests.

One of the tests was for your cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a type of fat which can cause blockages in your blood vessels. If the arteries to the brain are blocked then this can cause a stroke. If the arteries to the heart are blocked then this can cause a heart attack. This is called cardiovascular disease (CVD). When we receive a cholesterol blood test result we want to know what is the risk of you developing CVD.

It is this overall CVD risk which is the most important piece of information to know, rather than the actual specific cholesterol result.

To work out what your CVD risk is we use an equation. This equation takes into account your age, blood pressure, weight, cholesterol result and other issues such as your family history of heart disease and your other medical conditions.

The equation gives a result which is the percentage chance you have of developing CVD (eg having a stroke or heart attack) over the next 10 years.

For example:

• A 10% risk means you have a 1 in 10 chance of having a stroke or heart attack in the next 10 years.
• A 20% risk would mean a 1 in 5 chance.
• A 40% risk would mean a 2 in 5 chance.
• A 50% risk would be a 1 in 2 chance.

YOUR RISK HAS COME IN BETWEEN 10% AND 20%. THEREFORE YOU HAVE A RISK OF BETWEEN 1 IN 10 AND 1 IN 5 OF DEVELOPING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.

To reduce your risk we have the option of using cholesterol lowering medications. These are called statins.

Statins come as tablets that are taken once a day. The tablets should normally be taken at the same time each day – most people take them just before going to bed.

In most cases, treatment with statins will need to continue for life, as stopping the medication may cause your cholesterol to return to a high level within a few weeks.

Most people who take statins experience no or very few side effects. Others experience some troublesome – but usually minor – side effects, such as muscle cramps, an upset stomach, headache or feeling sick. If this happens, the medication would be reviewed and usually the dose would be reduced. This tends to resolve the side effects.

Current recommendations are that patients such as you who have a 10 year CVD risk of 10-20% should have the option of taking statins. Please accept this letter as your offer of starting a statin. If you want to take up this offer, or are not sure and want more information, then please submit a online SystmConnect request and a call will be booked with a clinician/pharmasist.