From 1999-2000 to 2017-2020, there was a reduction in the prevalence of elevated LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), although a considerable proportion of patients remain unaware and untreated, according to a research letter published in JAMA Cardiology. Ann Marie Navar, MD, PhD, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study to identify US adults with LDL-C levels of 160-189 mg/dL and 190 mg/dL or higher, with data analyzed during two periods: 1999-2000 to 2017-2020. Overall, the study included 23,667 participants. From 1999- 2000 to 2017-2020, the age-adjusted prevalence of an LDL-C level of 160-189 mg/dL and 190 mg/dL or higher decreased from 12.4% to 6.1% and from 3.8% to 2.1%, respectively. Among those with an LDL-C level of 160-189 mg/dL, the fraction who were unaware and untreated decreased from 52.1% in 1999-2000 to 42.7% in 2017-2020, while that of those with an LDL-C level of 190 mg/dL or higher decreased from 40.8% to 26.8%.
