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Young people and high school dropouts less likely to get cholesterol tests

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

According to a study published in the latest edition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, education and age have a significant impact on the chances that an individual will undergo cholesterol testing to check the level of potentially plaque-forming cholesterol in their blood.

"This report highlights specific populations that we could focus on, such as the younger population, those of Hispanic ethnicity, and those who have not attained a high school-level of education," said Kenneth Ong, acting chair of the department of medicine and cardiology at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, quoted by HealthDay.

Only 63 percent of individuals between the ages of 18 and 44 in the study had gotten their cholesterol checked within the past five years, as opposed to almost 90 percent of people more than 45 years old, and 95 percent of individuals over 65. Meanwhile, 83 percent of study participants with a college degree got their cholesterol checked, while only 60 percent of those who didn't finish high school underwent cholesterol testing. While the percent of most races who had their cholesterol examined hovered around the 75 percent mark, about 69 percent of Hispanics took the blood test.