Forty-two percent of Western New York adults who have been screened have been diagnosed with high blood cholesterol, and annual treatment costs are an estimated $72 million, according to a new report issued today by Univera Healthcare.

“As your blood cholesterol level rises, so does your risk of developing heart disease, which is why it’s so important to have your blood cholesterol level measured,” said Dr. Robert J. Holzhauer, Univera Healthcare vice president and chief medical officer. In Western New York, more than 500,000 adults are impacted by high blood cholesterol, and heart disease is the most frequent killer of adults, causing about a third of all deaths in the region from 2003 to 2005 (the most recent data available).

The Univera Healthcare study, “The Facts about High Blood Cholesterol among Upstate New York Adults,” also reveals that nearly 20 percent of the adult population has never been screened, a troubling statistic because high blood cholesterol has no known symptoms.

“Drugs that treat lipid disorders, including cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins, account for 8 percent of our health plan’s total pharmacy expense,” Holzhauer noted, "and that's a worthwhile expense because it saves lives and improves quality of life."

Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood. A person’s cholesterol level is determined partly by his or her genetic makeup, but also by his or her diet and lifestyle. A blood cholesterol level of 240 mg/dl or greater is considered “high,” but any level above 200 mg/dl, even in the “borderline-high” category, increases the risk of heart disease.

Researchers have identified several risk factors for high blood cholesterol, some of which could be addressed by changes in personal behaviors:

A diet high in saturated fat
Lack of exercise
Obesity
Cigarette smoking
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Diabetes
Family history of heart disease

Several of these risk factors are prevalent in Western New York. More than 60 percent of adults are overweight or obese. Nineteen percent smoke. Thirty-two percent have hypertension. More than 7 percent have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

“When a high blood cholesterol level is combined with another major risk factor, the risk for heart disease increases even further," Holzhauer said. "For example, if your cholesterol level is in the ‘high’ category and you smoke, your risk for developing heart disease increases more than 20-fold.”

Holzhauer added, “The takeaway from this report is that everyone should have his or her blood cholesterol level measured, and then discuss the results with his or her doctor.”

The full library of reports and fact sheets is available on the Web by going to www.univerahealthcare.com, and clicking on “Health Policy and Research” at the bottom of the page. Then scroll down to find “Fact Sheets, Surveys & Reports.” The Facts about High Blood Cholesterol among Upstate New York Adults is included under the heading Behaviors & Health Conditions.

------

Univera Healthcare is a nonprofit health plan based in Buffalo that is part of a family of companies financing and delivering health services for about 1.8 million upstate New Yorkers, including approximately 165,000 members living in the eight counties that comprise Western New York. To learn more, visit www.univerahealthcare.com, .