(Chicago, IL)  --  Screening for high levels of bad cholesterol is lagging in the U.S.

   A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist found 60-percent of people with high levels of what's called bad cholesterol didn't know about the condition.

   The researchers also found nearly two-thirds of the people with high bad cholesterol in the study weren't offered drugs that can help the condition.

   The bad cholesterol can build up in the arteries and cause heart problems.

   The past president of the American College of Cardiology called the results alarming.

   Dr. Douglas Weaver said people over 20 need to be proactive about asking for cholesterol screenings.

   Weaver also called on doctors to be more aggressive about testing for  and treating the condition.

   Results of the study are published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association."

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