Cholesterol Deaths Soar: 4.6 Billion Adults Affected

Cholesterol-related diseases are experiencing a sharp increase worldwide, with a notable concentration of the burden in India, China, and other lower-income regions. These areas face challenges with limited cholesterol screening and access to statin medications.

In 2023, high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), commonly known as 'bad cholesterol', were responsible for 3.6 million deaths and a loss of 90.7 million healthy years. This represents a significant portion of cardiovascular disease deaths globally.

Since 1990, the number of adults aged 25 and older with elevated LDL-C has nearly doubled, rising from an estimated 2.5 billion to approximately 4.6 billion. While age-standardized death and disability rates have fallen due to improved treatments, the total number of deaths and disabilities has climbed substantially.

Contrary to common assumptions, dietary cholesterol has minimal impact on blood LDL-C levels for most individuals. Instead, saturated fat intake, processed foods, and genetics are identified as stronger contributing factors. Men bore a heavier burden of LDL-C-related disability than women in 2023.

Researchers emphasize that measurement and surveillance gaps persist, highlighting the essential need for strengthened prevention, diagnosis, and treatment access strategies to mitigate the growing health burden of elevated LDL-C.