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More
Americans Report
High Blood Cholesterol
Excerpt by Paul
Simao, Reuters Health
ATLANTA
(Reuters) - The number of Americans who reported having high blood
cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease, increased
in the 1990s, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
A CDC study
revealed 28.6% of people who had been tested for high blood cholesterol
reported having the problem in 1999, compared with 25.7% in 1991.
An estimated 40 million Americans have high blood cholesterol.
The CDC said
the increase could have occurred because more people were aware
of the importance of reducing cholesterol levels and had been
tested. It also could be a result of better screening by doctors
and healthcare professionals or an increase in the prevalence
of the problem.
People with
high cholesterol, or a reading above 240 milligrams per deciliter
of blood, are more likely to suffer a heart attack or severe heart
problems. Half a million Americans die from heart disease each
year, the leading cause of death in the nation.
Smoking, lack
of exercise and diets rich in saturated fats have been linked
to higher cholesterol levels.
The study
is ``good news in that more people are aware of their cholesterol
and have the opportunity to be taking action for their high cholesterol,''
said Kurt Greenlund, an epidemiologist in the CDC's division of
adult and community health.
But Greenlund
cautioned that the CDC data was based on self-reporting and, consequently,
might be prone to error. The data was collected through telephone
surveys in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Complete
data were unavailable for a handful of states.
The largest
increases in awareness of an existing high blood cholesterol condition
were reported among residents in Ohio, Florida and Alabama. Oklahoma
and Alaska had the sharpest decreases.
The CDC said
the changes might be explained by population changes and other
factors, and did not necessarily indicate either an improvement
or deterioration in the health of residents in any given state.
All age groups
reported increases in awareness of cholesterol problems, but people
65 years and older showed the largest jump, 8.7%, between 1991
and 1999.
Health experts
recommend that all adults aged 20 years and older have their cholesterol
checked at least once every 5 years.
Reference
Source 89
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