Amelia WardDavina McCall, 59, revealed on 19 October 2026 that she has cardiovascular disease, telling listeners of her Begin Again podcast that women must stop brushing off health worries. The disclosure came during a conversation with heart attack survivor Louise McGill, and it has put a question in many readers' minds: what does a "good cholesterol" result really tell you?
What did Davina McCall actually say?
Speaking on Begin Again, McCall told McGill: "I wanted to let you know, I also have cardiovascular disease, and this is a very important conversation to have." According to the Irish News and RTÉ, she explained that she had been told for a long time that she had high cholesterol, but that her protective HDL cholesterol was thought to offset the harmful LDL type.
In her words, it was "deemed I had good cholesterol and that offset the bad or something". Her main takeaway for listeners was blunt: "It's not to brush things off." She also pointed out that heart disease becomes more common in women after the menopause.
The news follows a difficult run. McCall was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2025 and said in April 2026 that she had received the all-clear after surgery. In 2024 she had an operation to remove a benign brain tumour.
Why is a "good cholesterol" reading not the whole picture?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the umbrella term for conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. According to the NHS, it is often linked to a build-up of fatty material in the artery walls, which narrows them and restricts blood flow.
Cholesterol is only one input. Blood pressure, smoking history, family history, weight, diabetes risk and age all feed into the overall picture. A single reassuring number can therefore sit alongside a meaningful long-term risk.
Many women assume heart disease is a "male" problem. Symptoms in women can also be less dramatic than the crushing chest pain people expect, which is part of why McCall's message about not dismissing niggles has landed.
What does a cardiologist or GP look at beyond cholesterol?
A clinician will usually calculate a combined risk score rather than react to one result. In England, doctors commonly use the QRISK tool, which estimates your chance of a heart attack or stroke over the next ten years.
The inputs include your total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio, blood pressure, age, ethnicity, smoking status, body mass index and whether you have conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or migraine. Early menopause and some pregnancy complications are also worth mentioning to your doctor, because they can be relevant to long-term heart risk.
If a score is high, the conversation turns to options. These may include lifestyle changes, blood pressure treatment, cholesterol-lowering medication such as statins, or further tests like an ECG or an echocardiogram. Which route suits you is a decision for a qualified doctor who has your full history.
A worked example: when "fine" cholesterol still needs a conversation
Take a hypothetical 54-year-old woman, post-menopausal, who was told two years ago that her results were "fine" because her HDL was a healthy 1.9 mmol/L. Her total cholesterol is 6.4 mmol/L, her blood pressure runs at 138/88, and her father had a heart attack at 58.
If a GP calculates her ten-year risk and the figure comes out at 10% or higher, current NICE guidance is that a statin should be offered and discussed. If it comes out at 6%, the advice is more likely to focus on blood pressure, activity and a recheck in a year or two.
The point is that the same "good HDL" can produce either outcome, depending on everything around it. In this example, a repeat blood pressure reading and a full lipid panel would be the first steps. A woman who simply says "my cholesterol is fine" and moves on misses that discussion entirely.
Her action list would be concrete: book an appointment, bring the family history, ask for a QRISK calculation, and request that blood pressure be measured on more than one occasion. These are the kind of steps McCall is urging people to take.
Which checks can you book now?
If you are in England and aged 40 to 74 with no existing diagnosed heart, kidney or stroke condition, you are eligible for a free NHS Health Check roughly every five years. It covers blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and a risk assessment, as described on the NHS Health Check page.
Women who want a wider view of what midlife screening involves can read our guide to the five checks every woman over 50 should know. Another useful read is how menopause and long-term health decisions are discussed with specialists.
Symptoms that should never be waved away include chest tightness, breathlessness on mild exertion, unusual fatigue, pain spreading to the jaw, neck or back, and dizziness. Call 999 for suspected heart attack symptoms. For anything less urgent, speak to your GP or call NHS 111.
What lifestyle changes make a real difference?
Medication is only part of the story. NHS guidance on preventing CVD points to a handful of habits that carry most of the benefit, and none of them requires a gym membership.
- Move regularly. Adults are advised to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, such as brisk walking or cycling, plus strength work on two days.
- Eat for your arteries. More fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, pulses and oily fish, and less saturated fat, helps keep LDL cholesterol in check.
- Watch the salt. Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day, because a high intake pushes blood pressure up.
- Stop smoking. This is the single biggest change for anyone who still smokes, and NHS stop-smoking services are free.
- Limit alcohol. Staying within 14 units a week spread over several days is the standard UK advice.
None of this replaces a medical review. It does mean that a diagnosis, as McCall has shown, is not an end point. It is a prompt to act early while the options are widest.
Which questions should you take to your appointment?
Appointments are short, so a written list helps. Useful questions include: what is my ten-year risk score, and which numbers drive it? Does my family history change the advice? Do I need my blood pressure monitored at home? Are there tests, such as an ECG, that would add information?
It is also worth asking how menopause, past pregnancy complications or other conditions affect your risk, and when you should be rechecked. Ask for your results in writing so you can compare them over time.
Keeping a simple log helps too. Note when symptoms appear, what you were doing, and how long they lasted. A pattern, such as breathlessness on the same hill each week, gives a clinician far more to work with than a general feeling that something is off.
When to see a specialist
Questions about statins, family history, how menopause changes your risk, or what a borderline reading means are best put to a doctor who can review your results in context. A private consultation can also help if you want a second opinion or a longer appointment than a routine GP slot allows.
On Expert Zoom you can book time with a health specialist to talk through your own numbers, prepare questions before a cardiology referral, or plan sensible next steps after a screening result.
This article is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose or treat any condition. Speak to a qualified doctor about your personal circumstances.
