One in 3 Filipinos has high cholesterol

Lechon Cebu Photo by Don Lejano/INQUIRER.net

In a country where eating is a national passion, one in three persons is at risk for elevated cholesterol levels.

In hopes of addressing this precursor to heart problems, the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) has partnered with food and beverage firm Del Monte in an initiative to spread awareness of the risks of poor eating habits and the benefits of a balanced diet.

Called “Be Smart, Care for your Heart,” the campaign aims to encourage Filipino consumers and major corporations to adopt the program. Del Monte is set to issue a cookbook featuring low-cholesterol dishes this summer.

Latest survey

A 2008 FNRI study on cholesterol levels among Filipinos—the latest of a national nutrition survey that is conducted every five years—showed that 31.3 percent of 7,700 Filipinos polled had “borderline high to high cholesterol levels.”

Of the number, 10.2 percent had confirmed high cholesterol levels of more than 240 mg/dL, while 21.2 percent were borderline at 200 mg/dL to 239 mg/dL, said FNRI senior research scientist Charmaine Duarte who presented the 2008 survey results Tuesday.

Survey respondents between 50 and 59 years had the highest cholesterol levels at 48 percent, said Duarte, while 17 percent of respondents 20 to 29 years old had borderline high to high cholesterol levels.

Simply put, the risk of having elevated cholesterol levels increased with age, the FNRI said.

The incidence, also called hypercholesterolemia, is more common among women, according to Duarte.