A comprehensive look at how Americans are faring in the battle against coronary artery disease shows that over about 22 years, total cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, often called "bad" cholesterol) have declined. But the percentage of adults taking anti-cholesterol medications has climbed as well.Yes, but heart disease has not subsided, and obesity has skyrocketed.
Total cholesterol, on average, declined from 206 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) in the 1988-1994 survey to 196 mg/dL in the 2007-2010 survey, the investigators found.
The percentage of adults taking lipid-lowering medications climbed from 3.4 percent in the 1988-1994 survey to 15.5 percent in the 2007-2010 survey.
And that is because neither one has anything to do with serum cholesterol levels.
