For healthy people , the current target for LDL cholesterol is less than 160 mg/dL , and for those with two or more heart disease risk factors , it 's less than 130 mg/dL . For people with heart disease , LDL should be less than 100 mg/dL and possibly even less than 70 mg/dL for those at super-high risk . The survey , known as the Lipid Treatment Assessment Project 2 , is an update of a similar survey done in the United States in 1996 and 1997 . At that time , just 38 percent of Americans in general and 18 percent of people with heart disease who were trying to lower cholesterol actually had their LDL cholesterol under control . Health.com : 4 tips for healthy drinking while dieting Things have definitely gotten better . Waters and his colleagues found that in 2006 -- 2007 , 73 percent of people had their LDL cholesterol in an acceptable range . This included 86 percent of people at relatively low risk of heart problems , 74 percent at moderate risk , and 67 percent at high risk . But just one in three people , or 30 percent ,
After years of rising cholesterol levels from fatty diets and pudgy waistlines , there 's finally good news , experts say . More people who are trying to lower their cholesterol are actually succeeding in getting their low-density lipoprotein , or bad cholesterol , down to healthy levels . Research suggests that decreasing LDL -- via drugs , exercise and/or diet -- can ward off heart attacks and strokes . However , there 's still room for improvement , according to research from nine countries , including the United States and Canada . And there 's good reason to stay focused on lowering your cholesterol : Research suggests that decreasing LDL can ward off heart attacks , strokes , and other health problems . In the new study , which was funded by Pfizer and published in Circulation : Journal of the American Heart Association , an international group of researchers led by David D. Waters , M.D. , of the University of California , San Francisco , looked at 9,955 people with an average age of 62 to see whether cholesterol-lowering efforts -- including taking medication or trying diet and exercise alone -- were having the intended effect .