Table 4.
Prior Studies of High Cholesterol Awareness, Treatment, and Control in the United States
| Reference | Year | Sample Size/Population | Age Range/Mean | Major Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studies that did not include Hispanics | ||||
| The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study17 | 1995 | African Americans and Caucasians | 15 739 individuals aged 45 to 64 years | 25% of African American men and 27% of African American women with hypercholesterolemia were aware of their condition; of these, only 20% and 21%, respectively, were undergoing treatment, and only 32% and 45%, respectively, achieved treatment goals |
| Cardiovascular Health Study18 | 1995–1996 | African Americans and whites | 65 to 75 | The prevalence of cholesterol-lowering drug use in 1995–1996 was 8.1% among men and 10.0% among women |
| Minnesota Heart Survey19 | 2000–2002 | Whites | 35 to 74 | The mean prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in 2000 to 2002 was 54.9% for men and 46.5% for women. More than half of those at borderline-high risk remain unaware of their condition |
| Genoa Study20 | 2004 | Non-Hispanic hypertensive blacks and whites | Women, 59.8±9.4 vs 57.8±10.0; and men, 60.8±9.5 vs 57.4±10.1 years | Dyslipidemia prevalence ranges 50% to 78% and more prevalent among whites than blacks. Less than one third are treated (treatment was more common among whites than blacks), and fewer than half of those treated achieve goal (control was seen more among black men vs white men) |
| Studies that did include Hispanics | ||||
| MESA5 | 2000 | Non-Hispanic whites, blacks, Chinese, and Hispanic Americans | 45 to 84 | Hispanic Americans had prevalence of dyslipidemia that was comparable to that of non-Hispanic whites but were less likely to be treated and controlled |
| NHANES6 | 1999–2006 | Non-Hispanic whites, African Americans, and Mexican Americans | ≥20 years | Lower rates of having cholesterol check, reporting being told about hypercholesterolemia; hypercholesterolemia treatment and control among Mexican Americans than whites |
| NHANES7 | 1988–1994 | Non-Hispanic whites, African Americans, and Mexican Americans | ≥25 years | Mexican Americans were less likely to report cholesterol screening than whites. Even when identified as having high cholesterol, Mexican Americans were less likely to be on cholesterol-lowering agents |
| NHANES23 | 1999–2000 to 2009–2010 | Non-Hispanic whites, African Americans, and Mexican Americans | ≥25 years | Prevalence of high cholesterol did not change from 1999–2000 (37.2%) to 2009–2010 (37.8%). Awareness increased from 48.9% in 1999–2000 to 61.5% in 2009–2010 (61.5%). Treatment increased from 41.3% in 1999–2000 to 70.0% in 2009–2010. The percentage with controlled cholesterol increased from 45.0% in 1999–2000 to 63.6% by 2009–2010 |
MESA indicates Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis; NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.