A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that nearly half of Americans, whose cholesterol readings show that they have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke, are not taking any medications.

The new study urges public health authorities to educate the public more on preventing heart disease and stroke. The alarming cholesterol numbers are a strong risk factor in cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol lowing treatment, mainly with low-cost statin medications, has been proven to drive down the rates of heart attack and stroke.

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According to Heath Day, researchers figured out that blacks and Hispanics are less likely than whites to take medications to lower the levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol in their bodies.

Carla Mercado, a scientist in the division for heart disease and stroke prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said "Approximately 800,000 people die in the U.S. each year from cardiovascular diseases that is one in every three deaths and high cholesterol persevere to be a major risk factor."

According to Los Angeles Times, 44.5% of American adults likely to benefit from cholesterol-lowering drugs were not on one. But the cholesterol treatment gaps observed by the CDC were more distinct among minorities in the United States than among white Americans. Cholesterol-lowering medications also have side effects. Among those taking statin medications to treat high cholesterol, roughly one in 10 admitted to experiencing muscle pain and fatigue, and about one in 100 also had diabetes.

The research found that lifestyle changes can help reduce cardiovascular risk. Up to 46.6% of the respondents agreed that lifestyle changes such as exercising more, losing weight and eating heart-healthy diet will be more effective for the 78.1 million adult Americans who were either taking the statin medications or considered candidates for other cholesterol-lowering treatment.

TagsHealth news, health care, Cholesterol Research, Cholesterol Treatment, medicines, America, New Cholesterol Drug News, Cholesterol Medication us, CDC Cholesterol