1 in 8 Americans Suffer from High Cholesterol

While the percentage of Americans with high total cholesterol has declined over the past few decades, 1 in 8 U.S. adults still have high cholesterol, according to a new report.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), said that roughly 12% of Americans have high total cholesterol and 18.5% had low levels of HDL cholesterol (the good kind). These numbers have improved since the report was last made, but there's still room for improvement.

"One of the Healthy People 2020 goals regarding total cholesterol is to reduce the percentage of adults with high total blood cholesterol levels to 13.5%," wrote researchers. "For 2011 to 2014, approximately 12% of adults aged 20 and over had high total cholesterol, thus meeting this goal. Adults aged 20 to 39 and 60 and older also achieved this goal, but adults aged 40 to 59 (16.0%) did not."

These findings show that while many Americans are working on reaching better cholesterol levels, there is more work to be done, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers said.

High total cholesterol has been linked to heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States. When too much cholesterol builds up in your bloodstream, it creates a thick, plaque-like wall within your arteries. As time progresses, this substance will harden, making the affected arteries narrower, at which point blood flow to the heart is restricted or even blocked completely. And without fresh blood flowing the heart, a person may have a heart attack.

Of course, the biggest problem associated with high cholesterol lies is that there are no symptoms or warning signs. The only way to tell if you have high cholesterol is to have your blood taken and analyzed by a professional physician. A simple blood test will reveal exactly how much cholesterol is inside your body, and whether or not you at a risk for high cholesterol.

Tips to lower your cholesterol levels:

• Eliminate any and all forms of trans fat from your diet.
• Eat more foods with healthy fats, such as salmon and extra-virgin olive oil.
• Stick with whole grains.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Stay active by exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.
• Have your blood cholesterol levels checked on a regular basis.