Levels of High Cholesterol Drops in US

The number of people paying attention to doctor’s advice and all the news reports about the dangers of high cholesterol has risen. Studies show that from 1999 to 2006, the levels of bad cholesterol in the United States dropped by one-third.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that shows from 1999 to 2000, the number of adult Americans with high LDL cholesterol was 32 percent. In the one year from 2005 to 2006, that number was down to 21 percent. Not all of these better numbers can be attributed to more people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. Only 13% of the people in the study were taking prescription drugs like Lipitor and Zocor.

Part of the drop in people with high LDL cholesterol may also be due to the attention being paid to better diet and getting more exercise.

Cholesterol is made naturally by the body but is supplement by the ingestion of too many fatty foods. Too much cholesterol adheres to the artery walls, causing clogging and ultimately making the person more vulnerable to heart disease.

The study that revealed these statistics also showed that 36 percent of the people who had high levels of LDL cholesterol had never had a cholesterol screening before they participated in the study. Another 40 percent had been screened but were not treated adequately for the condition. When seeing the results of the study, Dr. Douglas Weaver stated, “…,this study shows that many patients who could benefit from lipid-lowering medications and changes in their lifestyle and diet are still going unrecognized, and untreated.”