Better Cholesterol Information Is Needed for At-Risk Patients

A survey of 1118 patients who reported havinghigh cholesterol revealed that they did notknow that high cholesterol comes from boththe food they eat and what their body naturallyproduces. The survey also showed that 45%of patients with high cholesterol were moreconcerned with their high cholesterol than withother personal health issues, and 75% felt thatthey should lower their cholesterol. Eighty-fivepercent of the respondents were aware ofnational guidelines for where their cholesterollevel should be, although only 27% knew thatthe optimal low-density lipoprotein cholesterollevel is <100 mg/dL.

Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticalsand Mended Hearts, a volunteer group affiliatedwith the American Heart Association, sponsoredthe survey. The 2 organizations aredeveloping educational materials and localawareness campaigns on the importance ofcholesterol screening and control.