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. 2018 Nov 30;42(1):101–110. doi: 10.1002/clc.23115

Table 1.

Fasting low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations (mg/dL) by year

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Trend (P)
Baseline Sample
Female (N) 15 970 35 716 47 294 61 504 78 936 41 620 —
Male (N) 16 370 32 631 38 933 48 313 60 957 29 508 —
Male (%) 50.6 47.7 45.2 44.0 43.6 41.5 —
Age (years)
Female 59.3 ± 0.1 57.3 ± 0.1 55.6 ± 0.1 54.5 ± 0.1 54.3 ± 0.1 54.4 ± 0.1 <10−16
Male 58.3 ± 0.1 56.4 ± 0.1 55.5 ± 0.1 55.4 ± 0.1 55.1 ± 0.1 55.5 ± 0.1 <10−16
Mean LDL‐cholesterol (mg/dL)
Female 119.8 ± 0.3 120.8 ± 0.2 119.8 ± 0.2 120.8 ± 0.2 122.7 ± 0.1 123.7 ± 0.2 <10−16
Male 112.1 ± 0.3 114.8 ± 0.2 114.9 ± 0.2 116.2 ± 0.2 118.0 ± 0.2 117.3 ± 0.2 <10−16
Age‐adjusted LDL‐cholesterol (mg/dL)
Female 119.5 ± 0.3 120.7 ± 0.2 119.8 ± 0.2 120.8 ± 0.2 122.7 ± 0.1 123.8 ± 0.2 <10−16
Male 113.8 ± 0.3 115.3 ± 0.2 114.7 ± 0.2 116.0 ± 0.2 117.6 ± 0.2 117.1 ± 0.2 <10−16
Borderline to very‐high LDL (%)
Female 36.2 ± 0.4 37.5 ± 0.3 36.7 ± 0.2 37.3 ± 0.2 39.0 ± 0.2 40.6 ± 0.2 <10−16
Male 30.3 ± 0.4 32.7 ± 0.3 33.2 ± 0.2 34.5 ± 0.2 36.7 ± 0.2 35.7 ± 0.3 <10−16
High to very‐high LDL (%)
Female 14.9 ± 0.3 15.4 ± 0.2 14.6 ± 0.2 14.8 ± 0.1 16.2 ± 0.1 16.9 ± 0.2 5.5x10−10
Male 11.5 ± 0.2 12.6 ± 0.2 12.5 ± 0.2 13.4 ± 0.2 14.9 ± 0.1 14.8 ± 0.2 <10−16
Very‐high LDL (%)
Female 5.2 ± 0.2 5.2 ± 0.1 4.6 ± 0.1 4.7 ± 0.1 5.5 ± 0.1 5.6 ± 0.1 1.3x10−11
Male 3.2 ± 0.1 3.5 ± 0.1 3.5 ± 0.1 4.0 ± 0.1 4.6 ± 0.1 4.8 ± 0.1 <10−16
1st follow‐up sample (N)
Female (N) 3437 6418 12 423 15 937 21 783 15 798
Male (N) 3552 6454 11 633 13 064 18 747 13 283
Male (%) 50.8 50.1 48.4 45.0 46.3 45.7
Age (years)
Female 64.1 ± 0.2 61.2 ± 0.2 60.1 ± 0.1 59.0 ± 0.1 58.6 ± 0.1 58.9 ± 0.1 <10−16
Male 62.3 ± 0.2 60.1 ± 0.2 58.9 ± 0.1 58.7 ± 0.1 58.9 ± 0.1 59.0 ± 0.1 <10−16
Mean LDL‐cholesterol (mg/dL)
Female 107 ± 0.6 110.6 ± 0.5 110.5 ± 0.3 114.4 ± 0.3 116.3 ± 0.3 116.4 ± 0.3 <10−16
Male 97.8 ± 0.6 101.7 ± 0.4 103.1 ± 0.3 105.5 ± 0.3 105.6 ± 0.3 107.3 ± 0.3 <10−16
Age‐adjusted LDL‐cholesterol (mg/dL)
Female 108.1 ± 0.7 111 ± 0.5 110.6 ± 0.3 114.3 ± 0.3 116.1 ± 0.3 116.3 ± 0.3 <10−16
Male 100.1 ± 0.6 102.4 ± 0.5 102.9 ± 0.3 105.2 ± 0.3 105.4 ± 0.3 107.2 ± 0.3 <10−16
Borderline to very‐high LDL (%)
Female 23.5 ± 0.7 27.9 ± 0.6 27.7 ± 0.4 31.5 ± 0.4 33.5 ± 0.3 33.8 ± 0.4 <10−16
Male 16.9 ± 0.6 20.3 ± 0.5 22.1 ± 0.4 24.6 ± 0.4 25.6 ± 0.3 27.3 ± 0.4 <10−16
High to very‐high LDL (%)
Female 9.3 ± 0.5 10.5 ± 0.4 10.7 ± 0.3 12.0 ± 0.3 13.1 ± 0.2 13.0 ± 0.3 <10−16
Male 5.6 ± 0.4 6.8 ± 0.3 7.0 ± 0.2 8.6 ± 0.2 9.5 ± 0.2 10.0 ± 0.3 <10−16
Very‐high LDL (%)
Female 3.2 ± 0.3 3.3 ± 0.2 3.2 ± 0.2 3.5 ± 0.1 4.3 ± 0.1 4.1 ± 0.2 2.2 × 10−9
Male 1.5 ± 0.2 1.7 ± 0.2 2.0 ± 0.1 2.2 ± 0.1 2.6 ± 0.1 2.9 ± 0.1 1.6 × 10−14
2nd follow‐up sample (N)
Female (N) 966 1951 4424 7135 9035 8470 —
Male (N) 990 2045 4375 6151 7808 7575 —
Male (%) 50.6 51.2 49.7 46.3 46.4 47.2 —
Age (years)
Female 65.0 ± 0.4 63.8 ± 0.3 61.9 ± 0.2 62.0 ± 0.2 61.0 ± 0.1 61.4 ± 0.1 <10−16
Male 63.4 ± 0.4 62.5 ± 0.3 60.3 ± 0.2 60.9 ± 0.2 61.2 ± 0.1 61.3 ± 0.2 0.008
Mean LDL‐cholesterol (mg/dL)
Female 104.1 ± 1.2 103.4 ± 0.8 106.8 ± 0.6 108.6 ± 0.4 113.4 ± 0.4 112.9 ± 0.4 <10−16
Male 94.3 ± 1.0 95.4 ± 0.7 98.6 ± 0.5 99.4 ± 0.5 101.7 ± 0.4 99.7 ± 0.4 1.5 × 10−12
Age‐adjusted mean LDL‐cholesterol (mg/dL)
Female 105.1 ± 1.2 104.0 ± 0.9 106.8 ± 0.6 108.7 ± 0.5 113.2 ± 0.4 112.8 ± 0.4 <10−16
Male 95.9 ± 1.1 96.4 ± 0.8 98.0 ± 0.5 99.2 ± 0.5 101.7 ± 0.4 99.7 ± 0.4 1.5 × 10−12
Borderline to very‐high LDL (%)
Female 21.2 ± 1.3 20.4 ± 0.9 23.8 ± 0.6 26.4 ± 0.5 31.5 ± 0.5 30.8 ± 0.5 <10−16
Male 13.2 ± 1.1 15.0 ± 0.8 18.7 ± 0.6 19.5 ± 0.5 22.1 ± 0.5 21.4 ± 0.5 <10−16
High to very‐high LDL (%)
Female 8.2 ± 0.9 7.9 ± 0.6 9.1 ± 0.4 9.6 ± 0.3 11.7 ± 0.3 11.9 ± 0.4 <10−16
Male 4.5 ± 0.7 4.5 ± 0.5 5.7 ± 0.3 7.1 ± 0.3 8.3 ± 0.3 8.3 ± 0.3 <10−16
Very‐high LDL (%)
Female 2.3 ± 0.5 2.5 ± 0.4 3.3 ± 0.3 3.0 ± 0.2 3.6 ± 0.2 4.0 ± 0.2 4.3 × 10−7
Male 0.7 ± 0.3 1.3 ± 0.3 1.3 ± 0.2 2.2 ± 0.2 2.4 ± 0.2 2.2 ± 0.2 2.5 × 10−6

Except for sample size, values are unadjusted and age‐adjusted mean ± SE for age and LDL cholesterol concentrations, and percentage ± SE for borderline to very‐high (≥120 mg/dL), high to very‐high (≥160 mg/dL) and very high‐LDL‐cholesterol (≥190 mg/dL).