Health Care System Factors for Blood Cholesterol Screening

Health Care System Factors

Early detection of high blood cholesterol through screening is the first important step to treatment and reducing the risk for heart attack and stroke. To reach high blood cholesterol screening targets, public health practitioners, healthcare providers, and educators should emphasize cholesterol screening, especially for young adults, men, Hispanics, and those with lower levels of education. The National Cholesterol Education Program provides evidenced-based resources and recommendations to healthcare providers, and new guidelines for cholesterol were developed in 2018 to emphasize the lifetime risk of unmanaged high cholesterol and the importance of primary and secondary prevention strategies to reduce one's risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).