High Cholesterol Facts
Find up-to-date facts about high cholesterol in the United States.
High Cholesterol in the United States
- In 2015–2018, nearly 12% of adults age 20 and older had total cholesterol higher than 240 mg/dL, and about 17% had high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good”) cholesterol levels less than 40 mg/dL.1
- Slightly more than half of U.S. adults (54.5%, or 47 million) who could benefit from cholesterol medicine are currently taking it.2
- Nearly 94 million U.S. adults age 20 or older have total cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/dL. Twenty-eight million adults in the United States have total cholesterol levels higher than 240 mg/dL.1
- 7% of U.S. children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 have high total cholesterol.3
- High cholesterol has no symptoms, so many people don’t know that their cholesterol is too high. A simple blood test can check cholesterol levels.
- Having high blood cholesterol raises the risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death, and for stroke, the fifth leading cause of death.

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
High Total Cholesterol Levels Vary by Race, Ethnicity, and Sex
The chart below shows the prevalence of high total cholesterol (240 mg/dL or more) among adults age 20 and older in the United States from 2015 to 2016.1
Racial or Ethnic Group | Men, % | Women, % |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic Blacks | 10.6 | 10.3 |
Hispanics | 13.1 | 9.0 |
Non-Hispanic Whites | 10.9 | 14.8 |
Non-Hispanic Asians | 11.3 | 10.3 |
People in the United States Are Making Progress on High Cholesterol
About two-thirds of U.S. adults say they have had their cholesterol checked within the last 5 years.4
Most healthy adults should have their cholesterol checked every 4 to 6 years. Some people, such as people who have heart disease or diabetes or who have a family history of high cholesterol, need to get their cholesterol checked more often.5
More Information
From CDC:
References
- Virani SS, Alonso A, Aparicio HJ, Benjamin EJ, Bittencourt MS, Callaway CW, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2021 update: a report from the American Heart Associationexternal icon. Circulation. 2021;143:e254–e743.
- Starks MA, Schmicker RH, Peterson ED, May S, Buick JE, Kudenchuk PJ, et al. Association of neighborhood demographics with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest treatment and outcomes, where you live may matterexternal icon. JAMA Cardiol. 2017;2(10):1110–1118.
- Virani SS, Alonso A, Benjamin EJ, Bittencourt MS, Callaway CW, Carson AP, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2020 update: a report from the American Heart Associationexternal icon. Circulation. 2020;141(9):e139–e596.
- Carroll MD, Kit BK, Lacher DA, Yoon SS. Total and High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2012 pdf icon[PDF – 778 KB]. NCHS data brief, no. 132. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2013.
- HealthFinder.gov. Get Your Cholesterol Checkedexternal icon. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2018.
Page last reviewed: September 27, 2021