Numbers Increase with AgeNot only that, but the older you get -- regardless of nationality -- the greater your risk of developing high total cholesterol levels. Check out the chart below to see.Age Percent of Men Percentage of Women20-34 9.5 10.335-44 20.5 12.745-54 20.8 19.755-64 16.0 30.565-75 10.9 24.275 and older 9.6 18.6All 15.6 16.9As ubiquitous as these numbers may seem, these statistics actually represent good news. Compared to previous decades, fewer adults are experiencing total high cholesterol. In fact, the proportion of the population from ages 20 to 74 (that covers just about everyone, now doesn't it?) with this problem has actually dropped by half. From 1960 to 1962, about 33 percent experienced it. This compares to only 16.3 percent in the years from 2003 to 2006.And while part of the solution to this problem can be found in the development of prescription medications, very often these same drugs carry serious -- even fatal -- adverse side effects.All too often your doctor hands you a prescription even before you've explored all the natural options available to you. For those of us who would like the opportunity to reduce our cholesterol through natural means, this course of action discourages us. A Society SearchingFor Quick, Easy Answers