Martine McCutcheon, 45, opens up on private health battle which has affected her family

EastEnders star Martine McCutcheon has expressed her surprise regarding her family's history with raised cholesterol and how it caused her grandmother to have surgery as a result.The actress, who was recently announced as an ambassador for Flora ProActiv's Valentine's Day campaign commits to regularly getting her cholesterol levels tested, and stresses the importance of doing so.Speaking about her family's history with their health, Martine, 45, said: "I was really shocked when I found out that we had a family history of raised cholesterol because I didn’t think something like that would affect us."My nan needed an operation on her heart because of the complications it caused, which has caused me to be aware."She added: "So, being part of this campaign is close to my heart and I’d urge everyone to get their cholesterol tested, to prevent more serious health complications."It’s quick and easy to get a test, you can pop into your local pharmacy or book an appointment with your GP."Last year, the TV personality spoke to Daily Express about her grandmother's operation.She explained: "My nan had high cholesterol.

Unfortunately for her it got quite bad and she had to have a triple heart bypass.""It was only when she was having the triple heart bypass that we knew she battled with high cholesterol."Flora ProActiv has created a brand new range of Valentine’s Day cards to help educate the UK about cholesterol, the risks that can occur due to raised cholesterol, and the importance of getting tests done in order to manage cholesterol levels.According to research conducted by Flora ProActiv of over 2,000 UK adults, 1 in 5 (20%) Brits have been diagnosed with raised cholesterol, and a third (33%), have never taken cholesterol test.