Hypercholesterolemia statistics tell us about the number of adults in the United States with levels of total blood cholesterol above 200 mg/dL, the beginning level for high risk hypercholesterolemia.
This information is the latest on hypercholesterolemia statistics from the National Center For Health Statistics, 1999-2004.
Over 105 million adults in the United States have total blood cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/dL. About one out of every three people are at high risk. Of this group, more than 36 million adults have extremely high risk cholesterol levels over 240 mg/dL.
For men over the age of 20 years, approximately 48% of white men, 45% of black men, and 50% of Hispanic men have hypercholesterolemia, or high blood cholesterol.
For women over the age of 20, approximately 50% of Hispanic women, 42% of black women, and 50% of white women have hypercholesterolemia, or high blood cholesterol.
High risk levels of LDL cholesterol, the so-called "bad cholesterol," runs around 30-40% for both men and women. But when it comes to HDL, or "good cholesterol," more than twice as many men as women have high risk levels.
Men between the age of 35-74 have more than twice the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia as men under age 34. Women, age 45 to 74 have more than twice the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia as women under age 44, and women age 65 to 74 actually have four times the prevalence as the younger women under age 44.
High blood cholesterol levels are consistently associated with higher risk of coronary heart disease, and other life-threatening cardiovascular and cerebrovascular damage, including fatal strokes.
While successful treatments are available, prevention is always the most cost-effective solution to health problems. In addition, prevention provides broad-spectrum benefits that enhance both the physical and psychological areas of our lives.
Lifetime habits of weight control, eating nutritious food, daily exercise, addiction control including tobacco, and stress management can take a while to learn but the benefits can add many healthy and useful years to your life. Research also shows that one easy habit that may help manage cholesterol is adding daily green tea. Here's information about green tea and cholesterol, including 7 important ways to protect against cholesterol damage
If we want to help protect ourselves from dangerously high blood cholesterol levels, we all must start early with regular preventive habits. Hypercholesterolemia statistics show us that preventive action should be encouraged as early as the 20s for men and the 30s for women, if not before.
by Sharon Jones
