Pharmacy Blog

There’s some good news in the fight against high cholesterol. According to a April 2012 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, the percentage of adults in the U.S. with high cholesterol declined by 27 percent for the period 1999 to 2010 — approximately a decade.

Experts think the decline in largely due to cholesterol-lowering drugs like Zocor, Crestor, and Lipitor, but believe other factors, such as quitting smoking eating habits, and exercise also contribute to the drop.

As it stands currently, 13 percent of adults in the U.S. have high total cholesterol, reports the CDC.

To arrive at their findings, data — which included blood tests and interviews — from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys was collected on nearly 6,000 U.S. adults. The standard set for total high cholesterol was 240 milligrams of total cholesterol per one deciliter of blood.

The government has a goal that the percentage of U.S. adults with total high cholesterol be 17 percent and under. This goal was achieved five and ten years ago for women and men, respectively.

Too much total cholesterol and low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol ups the risk of heart disease. Speak with your physician about having regular cholesterol screening.

Pharmacy Headquarters Blog (PharmacyHeadquarters.com) Editorial Staff  Copyright 2012 – All rights reserved