Quick Minute: American Heart Month

Quick Minute: Your Health Newsletter

American Heart Month

Feb 1, 2020

(Last Updated On: August 24, 2020)

Did you know that nearly 1 in 3 adults in the United States have high blood cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke? High blood cholesterol can be hard to detect, as it often shows no signs or symptoms.

High cholesterol can run in the family, but there are everyday steps you can take together to lower your risk. Start the conversation with your loved ones about how to manage cholesterol. #HeartMonth

See Knowing Your Risk for High Cholesterol

At What Age Should I Get Screened?
More than 1 in 5 youths ages 6 to 19 have an unhealthy cholesterol reading, and 95 million U.S. adults age 20 or older have high cholesterol. But since high cholesterol doesn’t have symptoms, many people don’t know their levels are high. Cholesterol should be checked early in life—even children and adolescents should have their cholesterol checked.

Cholesterol testing should be done:

  • Once between ages 9 and 11 (before puberty)
  • Once between ages 17 and 21 (after puberty)
  • Every 4 to 6 years in adulthood

If your family has a history of early heart attacks or heart disease, or if a child has obesity or diabetes, doctors may recommend screening for high cholesterol more often.

At least 200,000 deaths from heart disease and stroke each year are preventable.

More than half of preventable heart disease and stroke deaths happen to people under age 65.

Blacks are nearly twice as likely as whites to die from preventable heart disease and stroke.

Learn more about heart disease at cdc.gov.

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