Cholesterol can be broadly divided into "good" and "bad." Good cholesterol helps clear excess cholesterol from the blood vessels, while bad, or LDL cholesterol, does the opposite. The higher its level in the blood, the faster the arteries harden and the greater the risk of heart disease.

"Looking at the cholesterol test results from our laboratory, which provide a very good cross-section of cholesterol levels across the entire Estonian population and allow for general conclusions, nearly 60 percent of those tested have out-of-range cholesterol levels. This is actually a very alarming and thought-provoking result. And if we look at whether these are all older people, then not at all," said Synlab laboratory physician Anneli Raave-Sepp.

Nearly one-third of Estonians aged 19 to 25 have cholesterol-related problems. Statistics show that the issue is increasingly affecting women as well, particularly those who have reached menopause. In women, a sharp rise in bad cholesterol is linked to the female sex hormone estrogen, which is produced in the ovaries and whose production ceases at a certain age.

"Heart disease in women typically appears somewhere between eight and 10 years later than in men and the only thing we can thank for that is estrogen. But after that, the incidence of heart disease in women rises very rapidly. There is indeed a significant gap in data in global science and medicine on how heart disease progresses in women and what the symptoms are. There has been no specific research on which treatments work or how they affect women. Most studies have been conducted on men and this often leads to women's heart disease being diagnosed later and them receiving help later as well," said gynecologist Made Laanpere.

It is therefore known that women's mortality from heart disease increases after estrogen no longer offers protection. Smoking is also a risk factor for heart disease, but in women this risk is particularly high.

"It has been shown that young women who smoke have a significantly higher risk of heart attack compared to men of the same age group. Women also have specific conditions, such as early menopause, gestational diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy, that all increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life," said cardiologist Martin Serg.

Bad cholesterol is often referred to as a "silent killer" because it causes no symptoms and people do not feel that their cholesterol levels may be out of balance.

"The first complaint that may arise is a myocardial infarction (a heart attack – ed.), which is why it is very important that each of us knows our numbers and undergoes regular checkups," Serg said.

"If a person looks at their digital health record, they may see that their cholesterol levels are in the green or within the normal range. But in reality, these norms are very individual and are determined by your doctor. When we talk about the normal level of LDL, or bad cholesterol, for a healthy person, it should be below three millimoles per liter. But for a heart patient with coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease the target level is below 1.4 millimoles per liter and in some cases even below one," Serg added.

In about one in 200 people, high cholesterol is due to genetic causes. For most, however, it is linked to lifestyle choices.

"We have actually made very significant progress over the past 30 years in tackling cardiovascular diseases, but they remain the number one killer, which means this must remain the top priority," Serg said.

Since a healthy lifestyle is essential in preventing heart disease, the message is simple: put on your running shoes and head outside to enjoy some fresh air.

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