Cholesterol

A three-hour seminar on fats and cholesterol will be held tonight at the Yorba Linda Adult Education Center. The seminar will discuss the relationship of fats and cholesterol with various diseases, and how much fat and cholesterol is necessary to maintain good health. The seminar begins at 7 p.m. at the Education Center, 4175 Fairmont Blvd. Registration is $15. For information, call (714) 635-8560.

Despite extensive publicity about cholesterol and heart disease, fewer than 1 in 10 Americans know their cholesterol level, according to a survey by the national Centers for Disease Control. Only 6% of the adults surveyed in 32 states last year could recall their cholesterol levels, the CDC said. "People don't know their numbers," said Dr. Patrick L. Remington, a CDC cholesterol specialist. "We've got a long way to go to get people to know their numbers."

High cholesterol afflicts more Americans than previously thought, with an estimated 60 million adults having cholesterol levels so high they should seek treatment, federal researchers said. The new estimate shows high blood cholesterol is a major public health problem and underscores the need for people to get their cholesterol levels checked, the researchers said. In the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.

Low cholesterol could be responsible for higher rates of violent death among some people, particularly men, a study released Saturday suggests. Researchers found that men with blood cholesterol levels of less than 160 milligrams per deciliter met with homicide, suicide or fatal accidents 50% to 80% more often than those with the highest levels of cholesterol. Women with low cholesterol were nearly 30% more prone to violent death, the study showed.

Policosanol is a mixture of alcohol compounds -- mostly octacosanol -- extracted from the waxy coatings found on leaves and stems of plants. In humans, these alcohols are thought to work as well as statin drugs in lowering levels of "bad" (or LDL) cholesterol. Policosanol research was pioneered in Cuba, where most of the supplement is derived from sugar cane. In the U.S., policosanol supplements are made from a variety of sources, including wheat germ, yams and beeswax.

Americans may be too fat, but at least their cholesterol is low. For the first time in nearly 50 years, the average cholesterol level for U.S. adults is in the ideal range, the government reported Wednesday. Results from a national survey that included blood tests found the total average cholesterol level dropped to 199 last year. Experts consider 200 and lower to be ideal. Growing use of cholesterol-lowering pills is believed to be a key reason for the improvement, experts said.

Health officials approved the nation's first skin test for cholesterol, a system that detects the heart-clogging substance through the palm of the hand. The action approves its use only in certain already sick patients. It's not for routine cholesterol screening, the Food and Drug Administration stressed. Drawing a little blood remains the only way to test the general population for high cholesterol.

A friend called recently for a second opinion about a cholesterol test ordered by her daughter's pediatrician. Was it really necessary to check her 4-year-old's cholesterol level? Even if it was found to be high, was there anything to do about it? We used to believe that atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries due to fat buildup, did not develop until late in life.