U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Reduce cholesterol in adults — HDS‑06 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), CDC/NCHS

Baseline: 190.9 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) was the mean total blood cholesterol level for adults aged 20 years and over in 2013-16

Target: 186.4 mg/dL

Numerator
Sum of all serum cholesterol values for adults aged 20 years and over.
Denominator
Number of serum cholesterol measurements for adults aged 20 years and over.
Target-setting method
Projection
Target-setting method details
Linear trend fitted using weighted least squares and a projection at the 50 percent prediction interval.
1
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were evaluated for this objective. Using historical data points, a trend line was fitted using weighted least squares, and the trend was projected into the next decade. This method was used because three or more comparable data points were available, the projected value was within the range of possible values, and a projection at the 50 percent prediction interval was selected because no additional information could be used to assess the trend line, so the target was based on the projection.

Methodology

Methodology notes

Total cholesterol is a combination of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL). Total blood cholesterol is measured enzymatically in a series of coupled reactions. A description of the laboratory procedures for the total cholesterol measurement in NHANES is published by NCHS.

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/Nchs/Nhanes/2015-2016/TCHOL_I.htm

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Retained, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 with no change in measurement.

1. Because Healthy People 2030 objectives have a desired direction (e.g., increase or decrease), the confidence level of a one-sided prediction interval can be used as an indication of how likely a target will be to achieve based on the historical data and fitted trend.