Cholesterol levels in the American population

How are we doing? According to the government, most people do get at least the occasional screening. They report 65% of men and 70% of women (adults) have been screened in the past 5 years. Among seniors (over 60), the numbers are 91% for men and 88% for women. In the young adult cohort (ages 20 to 39), 52% of women and 41% of men were screened in the previous half decade.

Generally, men and women have about the same mean cholesterol levels, except in the senior (over age 60) cohort, where women on average have higher cholesterol levels than men. The higher levels in older women may be due to hormonal changes after menopause.

The Centers for Disease Control’s survey of the American population found that between 2000 and 2006 the mean serum cholesterol level in men aged 40 to 59 declined from 214 mg/dL to 205 mg/dL. For men past age 60, the decline was from 206 mg/dL to 189 mg/dL, and for women over 60, the decline was from 224 mg/dL to 209 mg/dL.

The Centers for Disease Control report that 16% of American adults have high cholesterol (defined as over 240 mg/dL). This number already takes into account people who take statins to lower their cholesterol. The government’s Healthy People 2010 program aimed to lower the percentage to 17%, so they account this as a success. However, it still shows that millions of people have high serum TC levels. The CDC also estimates that 8% of Americans have high cholesterol but don’t know it.