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Youth cholesterol levels, while still high, have declined since 1999, Reuters reports.
Researchers say 20 percent of U.S. kids ages 8 to 17 had unhealthy cholesterol levels and 10 percent had hypertension or borderline hypertension in 2012, but that’s moderately better than rates from around the turn of the century. The study included kids ages 8-18.
“Cholesterol levels and blood pressure are influenced by many factors including diet, physical activity and exposure to smoke,” noted researcher Brian K. Kit of the National Center for Health Statistics.
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