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December 13, 2007U.S. Cholesterol Levels Lowest in Decades - Thanks to Big PharmaYesterday the CDC and the National Center for Health Statistics issued a report that U.S. adults' average cholesterol levels have fallen to acceptable levels - thanks, apparently, to widespread statin use: Results from a national survey, which includes blood tests, found the total cholesterol level dropped to 199. Doctors like patients to have total cholesterol readings of 200 or lower. The growing use of cholesterol-lowering pills in people 60 and older is believed to be a main reason for the improvement, experts said. "These age groups are the ones most likely to be treated with medication," said Susan Schober of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the lead author of the report. The survey collects data in two-year intervals. The new results are based on a national sample of about 4,500 people age 20 and older from 2005-06. The new 199 level compares with 204 in 1999-2000. When the survey began in 1960, the average cholesterol was at 222. In a sense, this isn't really news: U.S. heart disease mortality has been dropping for decades thanks to better treatments, as well as a sharp decline in smoking rates. But the news isn't all good: rising obesity rates may offset some of these gains. Posted by Paul Howard at December 13, 2007 10:35 AM CommentsPost a comment |
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