Experts urge people to overhaul the deadly risks of highly processed foods. Photo / 123RF
A diet of takeaways and ready meals means those in their 50s are now the generation most likely to have high cholesterol, experts have warned.
A national programme to improve detection and prevention of diseases shows that those in midlife are now the most likely to have the problem, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The chance of high cholesterol has long been said to rise naturally with age, normally peaking for those in their 60s and 70s.
But experts said the findings, from a mass study involving the NHS, suggest that the unhealthy lifestyles of a generation that relies far more on convenience food and deliveries than its predecessors are reaping deadly consequences.
The UK-based research programme, Our Future Health, is being rolled out at high street chemists and aims to improve detection and prevention of diseases. The scheme, which on Monday will announce that it has recruited one million volunteers, offers free blood pressure and cholesterol checks, with participants giving permission for their DNA and blood samples to be used in research.
Early results show a snapshot of the UK’s state of health, with figures from about 220,000 volunteers signed up so far showing that 67 per cent of those in their 50s were found to have high cholesterol, compared with 63 per cent of those in their 60s, 48 per cent of those in their 70s and 39 per cent of those in their 80s.
Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said unhealthy lifestyle choices were leading to high cholesterol and obesity at an ever younger age.
Fry said: “We are seeing increasingly worrying consequences for a generation which has grown reliant on highly processed foods and regular takeaways. We’ve already seen these trends having an impact on staggering obesity levels, now we can see it on cholesterol.
“Separate research has already linked high cholesterol in your 50s and 60s to other conditions such as Alzheimer’s, so we really need to act to overhaul the deadly risks facing today’s 50 somethings.”
Last year the World Health Organisation said that a “Deliveroo culture” fuelled by the pandemic could make Britain the fattest nation in Europe within a decade.
Separate figures for England show that for men, the age between 45 to 54 is the peak for weight problems with 82 per cent classed as overweight or obese. For women, the peak starts in their 60s, with 71 per cent overweight or obese in the group between 65 and 74.
Overall, half of participants in the first wave of testing were found to have high cholesterol, while one quarter had high blood pressure.
Women were more likely than men to have high cholesterol, with 62 per cent compared to 46 per cent of men.
Researchers hope to recruit five million people over the age of 18 to take part in the study, using mass data to better predict who is at higher risk of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, dementia and stroke.
As many as 3000 new people are joining the Our Future Health scheme daily, according to researchers behind the project, a collaboration between the NHS, life science companies and health charities, which aims to make short and long-term insights.
Researchers said that collecting and linking genetic and other health data could “revolutionise” detection, treatment of prevention of disease, and result in millions of longer healthier lives.
Anyone over 18 can volunteer by signing up online, where they complete an online health questionnaire and book a clinic appointment.
Volunteers give a blood sample and have some physical measurements taken at the appointment, which are in Boots stores and in mobile clinics that travel around the country.
They are also offered information about their own health, including their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
In the future they will be given the option to receive feedback about their risk of some diseases, and have the chance to take part in further research studies.
High cholesterol is thought to lead to 7 per cent of all deaths in England.
Statins and lifestyle improvements are recommended to those found to have high levels, with more than eight million people in the UK taking the cholesterol-busting drugs.
Earlier this year the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence changed its guidance to encourage even higher take-up, saying the drugs should be made available to anyone who thought they could benefit from them.
Dietary improvements include cutting back on foods that are high in saturated fats, which are primarily found in red meat and full-fat dairy.
Dr Raghib Ali, chief medical officer of Our Future Health, said: “From developing the first vaccine to understanding the structure of DNA, the UK has a history of leading the world in health research.
“So over the last year, it has been hugely inspiring to see people signing up in their hundreds of thousands to help write the next chapter in that story.”
“Each one of those million volunteers is contributing to creating a world-leading resource that will lead to discoveries that will save lives,” he said, urging millions more to sign up.
“It’s something positive you can do for your own health, and you will also be making a positive contribution to the future health of millions of people around the world,” he said.
Wiktoria Niewiadomska, 23, a master’s student from Milton Keynes, Bucks, who signed up for the programme last October said: “I’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure which is unusual for my age. I think it’s genetic as my parents have it too. It’s great that younger people have the opportunity to find out their cholesterol levels and blood pressure at their Our Future Health appointments. If you know your levels are high, you can do something about it like I did.”