Cholesterol levels down
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
"The use of cholesterol-lowering medication is likely to have contributed to the decrease in total and LDL cholesterol observed predominantly in the older age groups," a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Oct. 12 concludes. Age-adjusted mean total cholesterol level of U.S. adults age 20 and older decreased from 206 mg/dL in 1988-1994 to 203 mg/dL in 1999-2002, while age-adjusted mean LDL cholesterol decreased from 129 mg/dL to 123 mg/dL during the same period, Margaret Carroll, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, et al., conclude. The study examined data from five national surveys, including the National Health Examination Survey (NHES) from 1960-1962 and four different National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). The authors note that "between 1995-1996 and 2001-2002, there was an increase in the number of physician office visits and hospital visits of men and women aged 45 years or older with statins prescribed"...