The heart disease trifecta

Nearly half of all adult Americans have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, all of which boost the risk of cardiovascular disease, the CDC says. One in eight has two or more.
By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times
April 26, 2010

Nearly half of all adult Americans have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, all conditions that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, researchers from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.

One in eight Americans has at least two of the conditions and one in 33 has all three, sharply increasing their risk. Of those with at least one condition, 15% have not been diagnosed, according to the report released online."

The number that really surprises me is the penetration of these conditions into the U.S. population," said Dr. Clyde Yancy of Baylor University Medical Center, president of the American Heart Assn. "When that number is nearly 50%, that's a huge wake-up call." It means there are a large number of people "who think they are healthy…but are working under a terrible misconception." the rest image