Bulletin of the World Health Organization

High total serum cholesterol, medication coverage and therapeutic control: an analysis of national health examination survey data from eight countries

Gregory A Roth, Stephan D Fihn, Ali H Mokdad, Wichai Aekplakorn, Toshihiko Hasegawa & Stephen S Lim

Volume 89, Number 2, February 2011, 92-101

Table 1. Assessment of high total serum cholesterol and use of cholesterol-lowering drugs among respondents of national health examination surveys in eight countries, 1998–2007

Countrya Survey year Diagnostic question Determination of medication use
Germany 1998 The last time your blood cholesterol level was measured, were you told it was high? Nurse manually reviews pills.
Japan 2000 Have you ever been told by a medical doctor that your serum cholesterol is high? Do you take medication to lower total serum cholesterol?
Scotland 2003 Thinking about the last time your blood cholesterol level was measured, were you told it was higher than normal? Nurse manually reviews pills.
Thailand 2004 Has a medical doctor told you that you had hypercholesterolaemia in the last year? Have you used a cholesterol-lowering drug in the last 2 weeks?
United States 2005–06 Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that your blood cholesterol level was high? Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional to take a prescribed medicine to lower your blood cholesterol? Are you now following this advice to take prescribed medicine?
England 2006 Thinking about the last time your blood cholesterol level was measured, were you told it was high? Nurse manually reviews pills?
Mexico 2006 Has any doctor said you have high cholesterol? Have you been treated for high cholesterol with drugs?
Jordan 2007 Have you ever been told by a health facility that your blood cholesterol is high? Are you currently taking medicine for your high blood cholesterol?

a These countries belong to different World Bank income categories.