High Cholesterol

 High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) can be inherited, but it's often the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices, and thus preventable and treatable. A healthy diet, regular exercise and sometimes medication can go a long way toward reducing high cholesterol.

 High cholesterol typically doesn't cause any symptoms. In the vast majority of cases, the only true symptoms it may cause are emergency events. For instance, a heart attack or stroke can result from the damage caused by high cholesterol over time. These events typically don’t occur until high cholesterol leads to the formation of plaque in your arteries.

 73.5 million adults (31.7%) in the United States have high low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad,” cholesterol.1 Fewer than 1 out of every 3 adults (29.5%) with high LDL cholesterol has the condition under control.Less than half (48.1%) of adults with high LDL cholesterol are getting treatment to lower their levels.People with high total cholesterol have approximately twice the risk for heart disease as people with ideal levels.Nearly 31 million adult Americans have a total cholesterol level greater than 240 mg/dL.1 What are ideal cholesterol levels?