Friday, 11 February 2011 18:23

Written by Julius

According to the results of a new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about half of adults in America living with high levels of bad cholesterol get treated over it. More intriguingly, the report showed, many of those who got treated are unable to control their problems. In fact, just 23 million (out of over 70 million) adults living with bad cholesterol managed to adjust and keep their problems in control. It comes to show that many people have not done enough to make changes in their respective lifestyles over what they eat, whether they exercise or not, and if they properly followed the medications prescribed to them by their doctors.

The study suggests that high bad cholesterol is still a major health problem the nation is facing. Cholesterol is defined as a waxy steroid metabolite often found in the cell membranes, and is transported in the blood system of not just people but all animals. When left unchecked, a high amount of cholesterol can clog up the blood vessels and lead to heart attacks, strokes and other complications. Bad cholesterol, scientifically identified as LDL, is viewed as a major factor behind the strokes and heart attacks that many people suffered. Medically, healthy people should not have a bad cholesterol level of above 160. As for people who have diabetes or heart disease, their readings should be kept below 100.

The bad cholesterol study was conduct for a period of three years and it involved the participation of over 4,000 people.