Trends in ATP-III-defined high blood cholesterol prevalence, awareness, treatment and control among U.S. adults.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine trends in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol among U.S. adults.


METHODS
Data from 6497 participants of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in 1988-1994 and 5626 participants of NHANES 1999-2004 were compared. High LDL cholesterol was defined using risk-specific cut-points from the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines.


RESULTS
The age-standardized percentage of U.S. adults with high LDL cholesterol was 26.6% in 1988-1994 and 25.3% in 1999-2004 (P = 0.28). Between 1988-1994 and 1999-2004, awareness increased from 39.2% to 63.0%, and use of pharmacologic lipid-lowering treatment increased from 11.7% to 40.8% (each p < 0.001). LDL cholesterol control increased from 4.0% to 25.1% among those with high LDL cholesterol (p < 0.001). In 1999-2004, rates of LDL cholesterol control were lower among adults ages 20-49 years compared with those age 65 years or older (13.9% vs. 30.3%; p < 0.001); non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican-Americans compared with non-Hispanic whites (17.2% and 16.5% vs. 26.9%, respectively; p = 0.05 and p = 0.008); and males compared with females (22.6% vs. 28.0%; p = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Continued efforts are needed to lower the burden of high LDL cholesterol and increase LDL cholesterol control, especially among populations with low control rates.
Hyre
Amanda D
AD
Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. ahyre@tulane.edu
Muntner
Paul
P
Menke
Andy
A
Raggi
Paolo
P
He
Jiang
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL