Fact-Checked
High cholesterol is an extremely common problem, affecting as many as 93 million people over age 20 in the United States (about 40 percent of adults), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But because high cholesterol has no symptoms and can only be detected with a blood test, many people may not realize they have it.
High cholesterol and its close cousin high triglycerides another type of fat, or lipid, in your blood can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke, which is a problem because they’re leading causes of death in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association (AHA).