Health is on everyone's mind these days, especially in the wake of sweeping health care reform. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) annual report on the state of American wellness outlined some interesting information about the nation's over all cholesterol. Where do you fit in the numbers?
By The Numbers:
- Having high cholesterol means that you are twice as likely to contract heart
- The American average cholesterol level is considered borderline high, at around 200 mg/dL.
- If you can think of six adults that you know, odds are that one of them has high cholesterol. About 16% of the adult US population has a total cholesterol level above 240 mg/dL.
- A higher percentage (17.9%) of Caucasian adult women has high cholesterol than both Mexican American and African American women (13.8% and 13%, respectively).
- Women aged 55-64 have the highest percentage of high cholesterol of any other age group, at 30.5%. Men of the same age range stand at 16%.
The Good News:
The news isn't all grim. In fact, in the last forty years, the average percentage of Americans with high cholesterol has dropped by half from 33% to 16%. Almost three-quarters of Americans report having had their cholesterol checked by a doctor in the last five years. About 7% of all doctors' visits include a cholesterol test. Screening for high cholesterol is the first stop in reducing risk of heart disease.
