Doctors' Notes: Cholesterol

Doctors' Notes: Cholesterol

From What's Up Docs? by BBC Radio 4

April 7, 2026 · 31 min · Episode 131

About this episode

Chris and Xand explore cholesterol, its implications, and the role of diet and medicine with Professor Nita Forouhi.

Chris and Xand take a closer look at cholesterol - what it is, why it worries so many people, and how diet and medicine fit into the picture. They’re joined again by Professor Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition at the University of Cambridge, to discuss why foods like seed oils become controversial, when cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins make sense, and how her thinking on cholesterol has evolved over her career. Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Professor Nita Forouhi Producer: Faye Lyons-White Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo Rowntree Researcher: Grace Revill Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Social Media: Leon Gower Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Olga Reed At the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris van Tulleken, Xand van Tulleken

Guest: Professor Nita Forouhi

Topics covered

  • cholesterol
  • diet
  • medicine
  • health
  • nutrition
  • statins
  • population health

Keywords

  • cholesterol
  • diet
  • statins
  • health
  • nutrition
  • seed oils
  • population health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Cambridge, BBC Radio 4, Loftus Media

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