National Cholesterol Month 2025

Every October, the UK shines a spotlight on one of the most silent yet significant health risks - high cholesterol. Led by HEART UK, the nation’s cholesterol charity, National Cholesterol Month 2025 carries the empowering theme, “Be the Boss of Your Cholesterol”. This year’s campaign urges everyone to take control of their heart health by understanding their numbers, making small but meaningful lifestyle changes, and seeking professional advice when needed.

High cholesterol doesn’t just affect individuals; it has far-reaching implications for workplaces, especially in highly regulated sectors where health, performance, and compliance are deeply intertwined. From healthcare and social care to education, transport, and finance, fostering a culture of prevention is now both a wellbeing goal and a compliance imperative.

In this blog, Anna Nova Galeon will explore what cholesterol is, why this year’s theme matters, and how regulated organisations can transform National Cholesterol Month into a meaningful initiative that supports wellbeing, compliance, and long-term organisational resilience.

Understanding Cholesterol - The silent factor behind heart disease

Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in every cell of the body. It plays essential roles in hormone production, vitamin D synthesis, and digestion. However, not all cholesterol is created equal. There are two main types:

• Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) - Often called “bad cholesterol”, as high levels can cause fatty deposits to build up in the arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke

• High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) - Known as “good cholesterol”, which helps remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream.

When the balance between LDL and HDL is disrupted, typically by poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, or genetic factors, cholesterol can quietly accumulate over time, narrowing arteries and limiting blood flow. This process, known as atherosclerosis, is a leading cause of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) worldwide.

According to HEART UK, over half of UK adults have raised cholesterol, and many remain undiagnosed. Because high cholesterol shows no symptoms, it is often called a “silent killer”. That is why regular cholesterol checks are vital; they allow people to take preventive action long before problems arise.

Why National Cholesterol Month 2025 matters

The 2025 campaign theme, “Be the Boss of Your Cholesterol”, is more than a public health message - it’s a call to empowerment. It reminds individuals that managing cholesterol is not about restriction or fear, but about ownership and awareness.

For organisations, especially those operating under strict regulatory oversight, this message aligns closely with existing compliance responsibilities under frameworks like:

• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 - Requiring employers to ensure employees’ health and well-being

• CQC’s Single Assessment Framework (SAF) - Highlighting leadership and workforce wellbeing in regulated care

• Ofsted and Education Inspection Framework (EIF) - Encouraging a positive staff culture and well-being

• NHS long term plan - Emphasising preventive health as a core strategy for sustainability.

By embedding National Cholesterol Month into workplace culture, organisations demonstrate proactive care - both for people and for compliance standards that demand continuous wellbeing and safety assurance.

Key messages from this year’s theme

As National Cholesterol Month 2025 unfolds, its message is both practical and empowering - encouraging everyone to take small, informed steps toward better heart health. Whether through lifestyle adjustments, medical guidance, or workplace initiatives, HEART UK’s campaign highlights that meaningful change begins with awareness and action. The following are the three key messages that capture the essence of this year’s theme and how individuals and organisations can put it into practice:

1. Know your numbers

Knowledge is the first step to prevention. HEART UK’s campaign encourages everyone to get their cholesterol checked through a simple blood test. Many local pharmacies and GP surgeries offer free or low-cost testing.

For employers, promoting routine health checks through occupational health services or staff wellbeing programmes can help detect issues early. These initiatives not only protect employees but also strengthen evidence of compliance with workplace health and safety obligations.

2. Small changes make a big difference

Healthy lifestyle changes can significantly reduce cholesterol levels:

• Replace saturated fats with unsaturated oils like olive or rapeseed oil

• Add soluble fibre (from oats, beans, and lentils) to your diet.

• Increasing physical activity, even 30 minutes of brisk walking daily, helps raise HDL and lower LDL.

• Stop smoking, it reduces HDL and damages blood vessels.

• Limit alcohol intake and maintain a healthy weight.

For regulated organisations, these habits can be reinforced through wellness challenges, staff training, and culture-building initiatives. The key is to link awareness to consistent, measurable action.

3. Support and medication

For those at higher cardiovascular risk or with very elevated LDL levels, medication such as statins may be prescribed. Encouraging open, stigma-free discussions about treatment ensures employees feel supported in managing their health.

Employers should take care that any health-related campaigns remain voluntary, inclusive, and privacy-compliant, aligning with GDPR and internal governance frameworks.

Practical implications for regulated organisations

National Cholesterol Month offers a strategic opportunity for organisations to align wellbeing with their governance and compliance objectives. Here’s how:

1. Align awareness with compliance frameworks

Health promotion supports compliance in multiple domains, from workforce wellbeing under the CQC’s “Well-led” domain to equality and safety in education and corporate governance.

2. Embed health into policy and culture

Develop or update internal wellbeing policies to include cardiovascular health education. Incorporate cholesterol awareness into ongoing mandatory training programmes or induction materials.

3. Encourage leadership visibility

Senior leaders play a crucial role in setting the tone. Leadership engagement, whether through wellness communications or participation in health events, reinforces organisational commitment to wellbeing and compliance culture.

4. Promote preventive health metrics

Use internal dashboards or compliance systems to track participation in health campaigns, training completions, and staff well-being indicators. This data supports inspection readiness and demonstrates continuous improvement.

5. Foster collaboration and psychological safety

When employees feel safe to discuss their health concerns without judgment, engagement and compliance improve. Campaigns like National Cholesterol Month can open doors to broader wellbeing conversations that reduce stigma and build trust.

Steps to implement a Cholesterol Awareness initiative

Translating awareness into tangible action requires planning, collaboration, and consistency. Once the purpose and messaging of National Cholesterol Month are established, organisations can take practical steps to embed its values into daily operations. The following actions outline how regulated workplaces can turn awareness into measurable, lasting impact.

• Launch a month-long campaign - Introduce National Cholesterol Month via internal newsletters, intranet, and staff briefings

• Provide educational resources - Use HEART UK materials or ComplyPlus™ learning modules to share evidence-based guidance

• Offer screening opportunities - Collaborate with local healthcare providers or occupational health services to provide cholesterol screenings

• Incentivise participation - Create small recognition programmes to encourage engagement, such as wellness points or certificates

• Evaluate impact - Gather feedback, measure participation, and report on outcomes to senior management as part of governance and improvement cycles.

Strengthen compliance and well-being through ComplyPlus™

At The Mandatory Training Group, awareness must evolve into measurable, sustainable organisational capability. Through our digital compliance ecosystem, ComplyPlus™, we empower organisations to turn health campaigns like National Cholesterol Month into actionable frameworks for wellbeing and governance.

ComplyPlus™ enables your teams to:

• Embed health and well-being awareness into mandatory training programmes

• Track participation, completion rates, and compliance documentation with ease

• Maintain audit readiness across health, safety, and governance domains

• Strengthen staff engagement and risk prevention through evidence-based learning.

We support your organisation in aligning compliance with care, ensuring that health awareness isn’t just an event, but an ongoing commitment to people, performance, and purpose.