A series of short animations is helping to raise awareness of health issues associated with cholesterol – and how to combat them.
High cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease. Two thirds of those at risk are undertreated.
The videos describe the importance of understanding cholesterol, the problems caused by blood fats being out of balance, how to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke and the role of statins.
The animations were created after Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley held a series of workshops with patients and health staff focusing on aspects of cardiovascular disease (CVD). These identified a need for new public resources.
The videos and leaflets were developed by patients and healthcare staff, in partnership with Health Innovation North East North Cumbria, NHS England, Heart UK, Spoonful of Sugar and Creative Connection Animation Studio. The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) Integrated Care Board (ICB) funded translations including Albanian, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, Ukrainian and Urdu.
Heike Veldtman, CVD Clinical Lead for BOB ICB, said: “BOB ICB is very grateful to Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley for their valuable work in creating these translated cholesterol information materials. We believe that by providing easy-to-read resources about cholesterol management in multiple languages we can significantly enhance health literacy, improve patient outcomes and address health inequalities in preventing cardiovascular disease.
“This will help individuals better understand their risk factors, detect high cholesterol levels early and follow treatment plans more effectively. Ultimately, these translated resources will empower people to take proactive steps towards protecting their heart health and reducing their risk of cardiovascular disease. By demedicalising the information and making it accessible to all, we hope to reduce stigma and promote a more inclusive approach to health.”
Hannah Oatley, Associate Director, Clinical Innovation Adoption, Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley, said: “We know from our work with primary care clinicians that finding simple, straightforward messaging around statins and cholesterol in general was a challenge.
“These co-produced animations are a great asset to our lipid management programme and we are keen to ensure they are shared with patients both within our region and nationally.”
The resources are being shared nationally through the Health Innovation Network which runs a wider programme focused on preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD shortens lives, leading to one death every three minutes in the UK.