This is sure to be influenced by drug manufacturers! See: https://thinksteroids.com/community/posts/711647 This is a multi BILLION dollar market.
Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (abstract below) suggests that even younger people should pay attention to their cholesterol levels, being that they may have an impact on health later in life.
Researchers "analyzed data from 3,258 men and women who have been tracked by the CARDIA, or Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, study for the last 20 years and were ages 18 to 30 at the start of the study." The investigators "found that participants with histories of high levels of the 'bad' LDL cholesterol were five and a half times as likely to have a buildup of calcium in their coronary arteries than those who had optimal LDL cholesterol levels." The researchers also found that "rates of coronary calcium buildup were also higher in those who had suboptimal levels of the so-called 'good' cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, although this association was weaker."
According to a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine (abstract below), "young adults tend to be notoriously lax about preventive health care, and cholesterol screening is no exception." Barely "half of all young men and women are screened for high LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol." The research was based on "analysis of data on 2,587 young adults -- including men aged 20 to 35 and women aged 20 to 45." Kuklina said "young adults should be screened, because heart disease is a chronic condition that can begin damaging blood vessels at an early age."
Pletcher MJ, Bibbins-Domingo K, Liu K, et al. Nonoptimal Lipids Commonly Present in Young Adults and Coronary Calcium Later in Life: The CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) Study. Annals of Internal Medicine;153(3):137-46. Nonoptimal Lipids Commonly Present in Young Adults and Coronary Calcium Later in Life: The CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) Study — Ann Intern Med
Background: Dyslipidemia causes coronary heart disease in middle-aged and elderly adults, but the consequences of lipid exposure during young adulthood are unclear.
Objective: To assess whether nonoptimal lipid levels during young adulthood cause atherosclerotic changes that persist into middle age.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Setting: 4 cities in the United States.
Participants: 3258 participants from the 5115 black and white men and women recruited at age 18 to 30 years in 1985 to 1986 for the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study.
Measurements: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and coronary calcium. Time-averaged cumulative exposures to lipids between age 20 and 35 years were estimated by using repeated serum lipid measurements over 20 years in the CARDIA study; these measurements were then related to coronary calcium scores assessed later in life (45 years [SD, 4]).
Results: 2824 participants (87%) had nonoptimal levels of LDL cholesterol (?2.59 mmol/L [?100 mg/dL]), HDL cholesterol (<1.55 mmol/L [<60 mg/dL]), or triglycerides (?1.70 mmol/L [?150 mg/dL]) during young adulthood. Coronary calcium prevalence 2 decades later was 8% in participants who maintained optimal LDL levels (<1.81 mmol/L [<70 mg/dL]), and 44% in participants with LDL cholesterol levels of 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) or greater (P < 0.001). The association was similar across race and sex and strongly graded, with odds ratios for coronary calcium of 1.5 (95% CI, 0.7 to 3.3) for LDL cholesterol levels of 1.81 to 2.56 mmol/L (70 to 99 mg/dL), 2.4 (CI, 1.1 to 5.3) for levels of 2.59 to 3.34 mmol/L (100 to 129 mg/dL), 3.3 (CI, 1.3 to 7.8) for levels of 3.37 to 4.12 mmol/L (130 to 159 mg/dL), and 5.6 (CI, 2.0 to 16) for levels of 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) or greater, compared with levels less than 1.81 mmol/L (<70 mg/dL), after adjustment for lipid exposure after age 35 years and other coronary risk factors. Both LDL and HDL cholesterol levels were independently associated with coronary calcium after participants who were receiving lipid-lowering medications or had clinically abnormal lipid levels were excluded.
Limitation: Coronary calcium, although a strong predictor of future coronary heart disease, is not a clinical outcome.
Conclusion: Nonoptimal levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol during young adulthood are independently associated with coronary atherosclerosis 2 decades later.
Primary Funding Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Kuklina EV, Yoon PW, Keenan NL. Prevalence of Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors and Screening for High Cholesterol Levels Among Young Adults, United States, 1999-2006. Ann Fam Med;8(4):327-33. Prevalence of Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors and Screening for High Cholesterol Levels Among Young Adults, United States, 1999-2006 -- Kuklina et al. 8 (4): 327 -- Annals of Family Medicine
PURPOSE Previous studies have reported low rates of screening for high cholesterol levels among young adults in the United States. Although recommendations for screening young adults without risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) differ, all guidelines recommend screening adults with CHD, CHD equivalents, or 1 or more CHD risk factors. This study examined national prevalence of CHD risk factors and compliance with the cholesterol screening guidelines among young adults.
METHODS National estimates were obtained using results for 2,587 young adults (men aged 20 to 35 years; women aged 20 to 45 years) from the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. We defined high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as levels higher than the goal specific for each CHD risk category outlined in the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines.
RESULTS About 59% of young adults had CHD or CHD equivalents, or 1 or more of the following CHD risk factors: family history of early CHD, smoking, hypertension, or obesity. In our study, the overall screening rate in this population was less than 50%. Moreover, no significant difference in screening rates between young adults with no risk factors and their counterparts with 1 or more risk factors was found even after adjustment for sociodemographic and health care factors. Approximately 65% of young adults with CHD or CHD equivalents, 26% of young adults with 2 or more risk factors, 12% of young adults with 1 risk factor, and 7% with no risk factor had a high level of LDL-C.
CONCLUSIONS CHD risk factors are common in young adults but do not appear to alter screening rates. Improvement of risk assessment and management for cardiovascular disease among young adults is warranted.
Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (abstract below) suggests that even younger people should pay attention to their cholesterol levels, being that they may have an impact on health later in life.
Researchers "analyzed data from 3,258 men and women who have been tracked by the CARDIA, or Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, study for the last 20 years and were ages 18 to 30 at the start of the study." The investigators "found that participants with histories of high levels of the 'bad' LDL cholesterol were five and a half times as likely to have a buildup of calcium in their coronary arteries than those who had optimal LDL cholesterol levels." The researchers also found that "rates of coronary calcium buildup were also higher in those who had suboptimal levels of the so-called 'good' cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, although this association was weaker."
According to a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine (abstract below), "young adults tend to be notoriously lax about preventive health care, and cholesterol screening is no exception." Barely "half of all young men and women are screened for high LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol." The research was based on "analysis of data on 2,587 young adults -- including men aged 20 to 35 and women aged 20 to 45." Kuklina said "young adults should be screened, because heart disease is a chronic condition that can begin damaging blood vessels at an early age."
Pletcher MJ, Bibbins-Domingo K, Liu K, et al. Nonoptimal Lipids Commonly Present in Young Adults and Coronary Calcium Later in Life: The CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) Study. Annals of Internal Medicine;153(3):137-46. Nonoptimal Lipids Commonly Present in Young Adults and Coronary Calcium Later in Life: The CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) Study — Ann Intern Med
Background: Dyslipidemia causes coronary heart disease in middle-aged and elderly adults, but the consequences of lipid exposure during young adulthood are unclear.
Objective: To assess whether nonoptimal lipid levels during young adulthood cause atherosclerotic changes that persist into middle age.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Setting: 4 cities in the United States.
Participants: 3258 participants from the 5115 black and white men and women recruited at age 18 to 30 years in 1985 to 1986 for the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study.
Measurements: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and coronary calcium. Time-averaged cumulative exposures to lipids between age 20 and 35 years were estimated by using repeated serum lipid measurements over 20 years in the CARDIA study; these measurements were then related to coronary calcium scores assessed later in life (45 years [SD, 4]).
Results: 2824 participants (87%) had nonoptimal levels of LDL cholesterol (?2.59 mmol/L [?100 mg/dL]), HDL cholesterol (<1.55 mmol/L [<60 mg/dL]), or triglycerides (?1.70 mmol/L [?150 mg/dL]) during young adulthood. Coronary calcium prevalence 2 decades later was 8% in participants who maintained optimal LDL levels (<1.81 mmol/L [<70 mg/dL]), and 44% in participants with LDL cholesterol levels of 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) or greater (P < 0.001). The association was similar across race and sex and strongly graded, with odds ratios for coronary calcium of 1.5 (95% CI, 0.7 to 3.3) for LDL cholesterol levels of 1.81 to 2.56 mmol/L (70 to 99 mg/dL), 2.4 (CI, 1.1 to 5.3) for levels of 2.59 to 3.34 mmol/L (100 to 129 mg/dL), 3.3 (CI, 1.3 to 7.8) for levels of 3.37 to 4.12 mmol/L (130 to 159 mg/dL), and 5.6 (CI, 2.0 to 16) for levels of 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) or greater, compared with levels less than 1.81 mmol/L (<70 mg/dL), after adjustment for lipid exposure after age 35 years and other coronary risk factors. Both LDL and HDL cholesterol levels were independently associated with coronary calcium after participants who were receiving lipid-lowering medications or had clinically abnormal lipid levels were excluded.
Limitation: Coronary calcium, although a strong predictor of future coronary heart disease, is not a clinical outcome.
Conclusion: Nonoptimal levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol during young adulthood are independently associated with coronary atherosclerosis 2 decades later.
Primary Funding Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Kuklina EV, Yoon PW, Keenan NL. Prevalence of Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors and Screening for High Cholesterol Levels Among Young Adults, United States, 1999-2006. Ann Fam Med;8(4):327-33. Prevalence of Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors and Screening for High Cholesterol Levels Among Young Adults, United States, 1999-2006 -- Kuklina et al. 8 (4): 327 -- Annals of Family Medicine
PURPOSE Previous studies have reported low rates of screening for high cholesterol levels among young adults in the United States. Although recommendations for screening young adults without risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) differ, all guidelines recommend screening adults with CHD, CHD equivalents, or 1 or more CHD risk factors. This study examined national prevalence of CHD risk factors and compliance with the cholesterol screening guidelines among young adults.
METHODS National estimates were obtained using results for 2,587 young adults (men aged 20 to 35 years; women aged 20 to 45 years) from the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. We defined high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as levels higher than the goal specific for each CHD risk category outlined in the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines.
RESULTS About 59% of young adults had CHD or CHD equivalents, or 1 or more of the following CHD risk factors: family history of early CHD, smoking, hypertension, or obesity. In our study, the overall screening rate in this population was less than 50%. Moreover, no significant difference in screening rates between young adults with no risk factors and their counterparts with 1 or more risk factors was found even after adjustment for sociodemographic and health care factors. Approximately 65% of young adults with CHD or CHD equivalents, 26% of young adults with 2 or more risk factors, 12% of young adults with 1 risk factor, and 7% with no risk factor had a high level of LDL-C.
CONCLUSIONS CHD risk factors are common in young adults but do not appear to alter screening rates. Improvement of risk assessment and management for cardiovascular disease among young adults is warranted.
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