TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Health Promotion Administration said on Monday that 30% of Taiwanese adults aged 20 or above have high cholesterol. 

The administration said early symptoms of abnormal cholesterol levels are often subtle, and individuals cannot measure them on their own. High levels of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or triglycerides potentially lead to strokes and cardiovascular diseases, per CNA.

The administration advises the public to have regular health checkups to monitor cholesterol levels. Starting this year, the government expanded free adult health services, offering them once every five years for those aged 30 to 39, once every three years for those 40 to 64, and annually for those 65 and older.

The public can also use the administration’s chronic disease risk assessment platform to input data on cholesterol and other key health indicators. The platform calculates users' risk of heart disease and cardiovascular events.

The administration said regular exercise can lower triglycerides and increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. It also reminds the public to adopt a diet low in oil, salt, and sugar, and high in fiber.

Nicotine in cigarettes may raise heart rate and blood pressure while lowering high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. 

In 2023, heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases ranked as the second and fourth leading causes of death in Taiwan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare added. It also reported that deaths from chronic diseases totaled 68,000 that year, exceeding the 53,000 deaths caused by cancer.