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Few people receive cholesterol testing, study shows

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Millions of people do not receive the kind of preventive health services they need, including cholesterol testing, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The paper states that only about 68 percent of all adults received a cholesterol test anytime within the past five years. Furthermore, only 32 percent of those who were diagnosed with high cholesterol have their condition under control.

The findings come from an investigation into the public's use of preventive health services. The agency sought to establish a set of baseline data against which it will measure the success of provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The health reform law provides strong support for prevention.

According to the report, there is plenty of room for progress. Aside from low rates of cholesterol testing, the data show that relatively few people seek cancer testing, smoking cessation services, blood pressure management and HIV education.

"The findings of this report indicate that tens of millions of people in the United States have not been benefiting from key preventive clinical services," the report states.