As a result, they are putting themselves at a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned.
Researchers examined data from the 2005-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
In total, 36.7 per cent of US adults – that’s 78.1 million people over the age of 21 – were eligible for cholesterol-lowering medication or were already taking it.
Within that group, 55.5 per cent were already on the drugs.
Of those on medication, nearly 90 per cent were taking a type of cholesterol-lowering medication known as statins - which inhibit a key enzyme that helps produce cholesterol.
However, researchers concluded that at 44.5 per cent of the adults who could benefit from taking the drugs, simply were not taking them.
Furthermore, blacks and Mexican-Americans are far less likely than whites to be taking the medications.
The study found that of the 38.9 per cent of whites eligible for or already on the drugs, 58 per cent were taking them.
Conversely, of the 39.5 per cent of blacks eligible for the medications, 46 per cent were taking them.
And of the 24.2 percent of Mexican-Americans eligible for the drugs, 47.1 per cent were taking the medications.
Dr Carla Mercado, a scientist in the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention said: ‘Nearly 800,000 people die in the US each year from cardiovascular diseases – that’s one in every three deaths – and high cholesterol continues to be a major risk factor.’
The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend that four groups of adults take cholesterol-lowering medication:
-Those who have heart disease or have had a prior heart attack, stroke or angina.
-Those who have LDL-cholesterol – known as ‘bad cholesterol’ levels above 190 mg/dL.
-Those aged 40-75 with diabetes and LDL cholesterol levels of 70-189 mg/dL.
-Those aged 40-75 with LDL cholesterol levels of 70-189 mg/dL and an estimated 7.5 percent risk of having heart disease within the next ten years.
Data from 2007 to 2014 indicates that there has been a decline in the number of Americans with high blood levels of cholesterol.
That decrease could potentially be linked to a recent increase in the use of cholesterol-lowering medications.
However, high blood level of LDL cholesterol continues to be a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
The CDC said that some people who have high LDL cholesterol or are at risk of heart disease should take cholesterol-lowering medications.
They would also benefit from lifestyle changes, including regular exercise, a heart-healthy diet and losing weight.
More about:
