Cholesterol in Adults 

Carroll et al. (2024) used data from the August 2021–August 2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate the prevalence of both high total cholesterol and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in adults aged 20 years and older. High total cholesterol was defined as “a serum total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL or more,” while low HDL-C was defined as “serum HDL-C less than 40 mg/dL.”

These authors found that 11.3 percent of adults had high total cholesterol and 13.8 percent had low HDL-C. It is worth noting that the age-adjusted prevalence of high total cholesterol declined in 2013–2014 compared to 1999–2000 where it was 18.3 percent. The prevalence in 2021–2023 was not significantly different from that in 2013–2014. The prevalence of low HDL-C declined in 2021–2023 from the rate recorded in 2007–2008.

Carroll et al. (2024) also completed additional analyses exploring the relationship between cholesterol, age, and sex.

Reference

Carroll, M.D., Fryar, C.D., Gwira, J.A., & Iniguez, M. (2024). Total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023. NCHS Data Brief, no 515. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.