Cholesterol levels and the starting point of lowering cholesterol among men and women are quite different. It appears that men have got a significant edge when it comes to high cholesterol levels. Statistically speaking, more women have higher overall blood cholesterol levels, have higher LDL cholesterol, also referred to as the bad cholesterol, and are at higher risk for developing heart disease due to elevated blood cholesterol levels than men.

Men on the other hand develop heart diseases much sooner in life than women (usually 10-15 years on average) and if diagnosed with high cholesterol levels at younger age, men have greater possibility of dying from a heart attack at older age. Since heart problems continue to be one of the most common causes of death among men, men must do their best in reducing cholesterol if they wish to avoid dealing with this heart disease tendency and its dangerous often-fatal consequences.

While 42% of Mexican-American women have high cholesterol levels (a distinguished figure presenting almost half of the female population), and 25% of American woman have total cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/dl, only 18% of Mexican –American men either take medication to lower cholesterol or are diagnosed with dangerously high blood cholesterol levels.

It appears that men age 35-40 cut their longevity in 8 years on average, if their cholesterol levels at this age are above 240, whereas more than 55% of women who are over 55 and experience their post menopausal period, will likely to have high cholesterol levels and are in great risk for developing heart diseases.

Another interesting statistic is that black men have the least chance of developing high blood cholesterol levels.