Study:

Those with cardiovascular diseases aren’t doing enough to keep their “bad” cholesterol levels down, according to a new study by the UCI Heart Disease Prevention Program.

The study found that 63% of Americans who battle heart diseases that affect the vascular system are not at recommended levels of LDL-C, otherwise known as “bad” cholesterol. The study further shows that 83% of those same people weren’t at recommended levels of both bad cholesterol and HDL-C, or “good” cholesterol.

Those who aren’t faced with heart diseases met the recommended levels for bad cholesterol 85% of the time, and the levels for both types of cholesterol 67% of the time.

The findings point to a lack of proper diet and exercise, and call for more appropriate therapies to battle cholesterol, the study’s leader, Nathan Wong, said.

The study shows results from nearly 3,000 adults older than 20 who were part of a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

— Daniel Tedford