Raised blood cholesterol
The World Health Report 2002 (1) estimates that over 50% of coronary heart disease in developed countries is due to blood cholesterol levels in excess of the theoretical minimum of 3.8 mmol/l.
In the UK, it's estimated that 45% of deaths from coronary heart disease in men and 47% of deaths from coronary heart disease in women, are due to raised blood cholesterol.
This proportion of deaths from coronary heart disease in the UK could be avoided if everyone in the population had a blood cholesterol level of less than 5 mmol/l. Total blood cholesterol is influenced by physical activity and by the level and types of fat consumed in the diet.
The target in England is to reduce population cholesterol levels to less than 5.0 mmol/l. Currently, the mean blood cholesterol level for men aged 16 and above in England is 5.5 mmol/l and for women is 5.6 mmol/l. But 66% of men and 67% of women have blood cholesterol levels of 5.0 mmol/l and above.
Trends in raised blood cholesterol
Mean cholesterol has remained fairly stable during the 1990s, with a slight decline observed in the 1998 Health Survey for England, although this may be due to a change in laboratory blood processing methods.
Raised blood cholesterol and age
The mean total cholesterol level in the population increases with age among both men and women.
In men, the proportion with cholesterol levels of 5.0 mmol/l and above increases from 23% in those aged 16-24 to 82% in those aged 55-64, with a slight decrease thereafter. In women, cholesterol levels of 5.0 mmol/l or above continue to increase from 24% among those aged 16-24 to 91% among those aged 65-74.
Raised blood cholesterol and social class
Total blood cholesterol levels show little social class variation. Mean total cholesterol and the prevalence of blood cholesterol levels of 5.0 mmol/l and above are marginally lower in all ethnic minority groups than the general population.
Two types of cholesterol
There are two types of cholesterol: LDL - low density lipoprotein - often referred to by food marketing people as "bad cholesterol" and HDL - high density lipoprotein - sometimes called "good cholesterol". The information contained in this section is about LDL.
Useful link
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/index.htm
References
1. Reducing Risks, Promoting Healthy Life'
World Health Report, by the World Health Organisation (2002)
http://www.who.int/whr/2002/en/index.html