Total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009-2010.

The percentage of adults aged 20 and over with high total cholesterol has declined substantially since 1999–2000. For 2009–2010, the percentage of adults with high total cholesterol was 13.4%, thus meeting the Healthy People 2010 target of 17% or less [Objective (12–14)] (7). Substantial and steady decreases in the prevalence of high total cholesterol among men aged 40 and over and women aged 60 and over during the 1999–2010 period resulted in achievement of the Healthy People 2010 objective in all sex and racial-and-ethnic groups and in all sex and age groups except for women aged 40 and over. For 2009–2010, only 11.9% of women compared with 31.4% of men aged 20 and over had low HDL cholesterol. The percentage with low HDL cholesterol is consistently higher in men than in women within each race and ethnicity group. Because women typically have higher HDL cholesterol levels than men (6), the percentage with low HDL cholesterol is expected to be lower in women than in men. The percentage of adult men with low HDL cholesterol is lower in non- Hispanic black men than in Hispanic or non-Hispanic white men. During 2009–2010, approximately 68% of adults—including 66% of men and 70% of women— had their cholesterol checked within the past 5 years. These percentages have not changed significantly from 2005–2006, when 65% of men and 71% of women had their cholesterol checked within the past 5 years (8). Furthermore, the Healthy People 2010 objective for cholesterol screening of at least 80% [Objective (12–15)] (7) was not met. Less than one-half of Hispanic men were screened within the past 5 years compared with 70% of non-Hispanic white men and nearly 62% of non-Hispanic black men. Among U.S. adults in 2009–2010, those with adverse concentrations of total cholesterol (15%) and HDL cholesterol (25%) are at risk for coronary heart disease, including heart attacks. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the Million Hearts Initiative (9) with a goal of preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next 5 years. High cholesterol is one major risk factor for heart attacks.