Local people's cholesterol levels rising too quickly

HelloRF

Rich diets and unhealthy lifestyles have been blamed for an increase in cholesterol and triglycerides among local people and increased mortality rates.

Triglyceride levels in men have almost doubled in the past 40 years, while the figure rose by 56 percent in women, doctors from Zhongshan Hospital said.

A high level of triglycerides can increase the risk of heart disease.

Hospital researchers found two jumps in cholesterol among Shanghai residents, a quick rise from the 1980s to late 1990s and another jump in the past 10 years.

Cholesterol is also closely related to coronary disease and over 2 million people die every year because of diseases caused by high cholesterol, the hospital’s Chen Haozhu told a forum at the weekend.

“Controlling cholesterol is very important in combating cardiovascular disease,” Chen said.

Mortality because of low-density lipoprotein — “bad cholesterol” which increases the risk of heart disease and strokes — rose from 25 in every 100,000 people in 1990 to 60 last year, an increase of 240 percent.