National Cholesterol Levels Continue to Drop

Two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight, but a new study released Tuesday shows that Americans might be healthier than they think.

New report shows that only 13 percent of U.S. adults have high total cholesterol (Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)

The report from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention says only 13 percent of adults in the U.S. have high total cholesterol. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention conducted interviews and blood tests of 6,000 U.S. adults in 2009 and 2010.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in the blood that can potentially cause heart disease.

Experts say the lower number is due to the large amount of cholesterol-lowering drugs that Americans take, as well as other factors like drops in smoking rates.

The government had aimed to lower high total cholesterol levels in American adults to 17 percent, a goal women met five years ago and men met over ten years ago.

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