One of every three adults screened in the Finger Lakes region has high cholesterol, according to Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. The region’s largest health insurer reported this week 36 percent of adults in the region who have been screened for the condition have been diagnosed with high blood cholesterol.

Treating those locally with high cholesterol, which contributes to heart disease, costs about $42 million annually, Excellus reports.

Across upstate New York, nearly 20 percent of adults have not been screened, a statistic that is also troubling. “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,” stated Dr. Robert Holzhauer, Excellus vice president and chief medical officer.

In the Finger Lakes region, more than 292,000 adults have high blood cholesterol. It contributes to heart disease, the most frequent killer of adults, which caused one-quarter of all deaths in the region from 2003 to 2005, the most recent data available, Excellus reported.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood. A person’s cholesterol level is determined partly by genetic makeup, but also by diet and lifestyle.
High blood cholesterol has no known symptoms.

Certain risk factors associated with high cholesterol include: a diet high in saturated fat; lack of exercise; obesity; cigarette smoking; high blood pressure; diabetes; and a family history of heart disease.

To view the entire report, visit www.excellusbcbs.com. Click on “Health Policy and Research” at the bottom of the page. Scroll down to find “Fact Sheets, Surveys & Reports.”