High Cholesterol Rate Continues Decline in the U.S.

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?