Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Dubai
A cholesterol result is not high or low on its own; it is one input into the chance of a heart attack or stroke over the next ten years, alongside age, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and family history. That risk, not the number, is what decides whether treatment is worthwhile. At Smart Care Polyclinic in Deira, an internal medicine specialist calculates it with you and explains the options honestly.
For: a high cholesterol result, family history of early heart disease, or a risk check
Takes: a 30-minute consultation; lipids, glucose and ECG on site
Price: consultation AED 125
Book the internal medicine specialistor call +971 (0) 4379 3562
What it is
The lipid profile has four parts — total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides — and LDL is the one that drives artery disease. The current joint guideline sets out how the profile is interpreted and how risk is estimated to decide on treatment.1 Very high LDL in a young person, or early heart disease in close relatives, raises the possibility of an inherited condition, familial hypercholesterolaemia, which is treated from diagnosis regardless of calculated risk.
Treatment follows the risk. Low risk: diet, activity, weight and a repeat. Intermediate risk: a discussion, sometimes with a further test to refine it. High risk, established heart disease, or diabetes: a statin, which lowers LDL substantially and reduces heart attacks and strokes in proportion, with other medicines added where LDL stays above target.
Statins, honestly
Statins are among the best-studied medicines in existence. Muscle aches are reported by some people and are usually manageable by changing dose or statin; serious side effects are rare; and the benefit is greatest in those at highest risk. Someone at low risk gains little and can reasonably decline; someone with a previous heart attack gains a great deal. The specialist will say which you are.
Diet and cholesterol
Saturated fat, not dietary cholesterol, is what raises LDL, and the dietary pattern that lowers it — more fibre, nuts, olive oil, fish and plants, less processed meat and pastry — lowers blood pressure and weight as well. It is worth doing whether or not a statin is prescribed.
The consultation, and what follows from it
Internal medicine consultation
Assessment, examination and a plan with every cost stated before anything further is done.
AED 125 was AED 200
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Questions patients ask
There is no single normal; the LDL that is acceptable for a healthy 30-year-old is too high for someone with diabetes or a previous heart attack. The specialist interprets your result against your risk.
If your estimated ten-year risk is high, you have established heart disease, diabetes, or a very high LDL, usually yes. If your risk is low, usually no. The consultation is where that is calculated and explained.
Diet, weight loss and activity lower LDL modestly, typically by 10 to 15%, which is enough for many people at lower risk and not enough for those at high risk or with an inherited condition.
This guide is general information, not advice about you. Long-term conditions are managed on your own results and history, which is what the specialist consultation is for.
References
- Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M, et al.. 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2026;87(19):2624-2757. PMID 41824590. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2025.11.016The current joint guideline on interpreting a lipid profile and deciding what a cholesterol result means for cardiovascular risk.
Sources are listed for the specific statements they support. They are published research and guidance, not a substitute for a consultation — what applies to you is decided by a doctor who has assessed you.