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A Researchers say this could be because they indulged in fatty foods like brandy butter, cream and Stilton over the festive season. Scientists have now warned doctors they should not diagnose people with high cholesterol in January.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is vital for the normal functioning of the body. But too much can cause it to build up in the arteries, restricting blood flow to the heart, brain and rest of the body.
Of those whose cholesterol levels were measured in January, 77 per cent had LDL levels above 3mmol/L and 89 per cent had levels of more than 5mmol/L.
And an astonishing nine out of ten of the study’s participants had high cholesterol in the New Year – six times more than in the other 11 months.
‘Celebrating Christmas is associated with higher levels of total and LDL cholesterol and a higher risk of hypercholesterolemia in individuals in the general population,’ the authors wrote.
They stress people should not panic if they are told they have high cholesterol in the New Year.
‘There is a greater risk of finding that you have elevated cholesterol if you go to the doctor and have your cholesterol tested straight after Christmas,’ Dr Vedel-Krogh said.
‘It is important to be aware of this, both for doctors who treat high cholesterol and those wishing to keep their cholesterol levels down.’