Between 1999 and 2014, the age-adjusted mean triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels decreased significantly in the U.S., according to a survey analysis.
Lead researcher Asher Rosinger, PhD, MPH, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues published their results online in JAMA Cardiology on Nov. 30.
The researchers evaluated two-year National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data between 1999/2000 and 2013/2014 for adults who were at least 20 years old. The survey response rate ranged from 64 percent to 73 percent.
During the time period studied, 39,049 adults had their total cholesterol levels analyzed, 17,486 adults had their triglyceride levels analyzed and 17,096 adults had their LDL cholesterol levels analyzed.
The age-adjusted mean total cholesterol level decreased from 204 mg/dL in 1999/2000 to 89 mg/dL in 2013/2014 and declined 6 mg/dL between 2011/2012 and 2013/2014.
The age-adjusted geometric mean triglyceride levels decreased from 123 mg/dL in 1999/2000 to 97 mg/dL in 2013/2014 and declined 13 mg/dL between 2011/12 and 2013/2014.
The mean LDL cholesterol levels decreased from 126 mg/dL in 1999/2000 to 111 mg/dL in 2013/2014 and decline 4 mg/dL between 2011/12 and 2013/2014.
The researchers mentioned that the decreases in total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol were similar when they stratified by lipid-lowering medications.
“Removal of trans-fatty acids in foods has been suggested as an explanation for the observed trends of triglycerides, [LDL cholesterol] levels, and [total cholesterol] levels,” the researchers wrote. “With increased interest in triglycerides for cardiovascular health, the continued drop of triglycerides, [LDL cholesterol] levels, and [total cholesterol] levels at a population level represents an important finding and may be contributing to declining death rates owing to coronary heart disease since 1999.”
Executive Editor
Tim Casey joined TriMed Media Group in 2015 as Executive Editor. For the previous four years, he worked as an editor and writer for HMP Communications, primarily focused on covering managed care issues and reporting from medical and health care conferences. He was also a staff reporter at the Sacramento Bee for more than four years covering professional, college and high school sports. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA degree from Georgetown University.