The percentage of U.S. adults with high cholesterol dropped to 11% in 2013-2014 following a decade of continuous decline, according to a report released Tuesday. More than 18% of Americans over the age of 20 had high cholesterol during the 1999-2000 survey.
The decline, reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), comes as Americans have increasingly taken medication like statins to stem high cholesterol. Changes to guidelines for prescribing statins by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology in 2013 led to a dramatic expansion of who is prescribed the drug.
High cholesterol, which can also be reduced through lifestyle changes like a different diet and increased exercise, contributes to heart disease.
Read More: Who Really Needs To Take a Statin?
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Dua Lipa Manifested All of This
- Exclusive: Google Workers Revolt Over $1.2 Billion Contract With Israel
- Stop Looking for Your Forever Home
- The Sympathizer Counters 50 Years of Hollywood Vietnam War Narratives
- The Bliss of Seeing the Eclipse From Cleveland
- Hormonal Birth Control Doesn’t Deserve Its Bad Reputation
- The Best TV Shows to Watch on Peacock
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com