Congress Designates September 2025 as National Cholesterol Education Month: Why Your LDL-C Number Matters

This resolution is a big, formal public service announcement from Congress. It doesn’t change any laws or hand out any new money, but it officially designates September 2025 as "National Cholesterol Education Month" and September 30, 2025, as "LDL-C Awareness Day." The core purpose is to put a spotlight on the number one killer in the U.S.—cardiovascular disease—and push every American to find out their LDL cholesterol number.

The Heart of the Matter: Why We Need an Awareness Month

Think of this resolution as Congress laying out the receipts on heart health. The text is packed with sobering statistics, essentially arguing that we, as a nation, are failing to manage a massive, preventable health crisis. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. The resolution points out that high LDL cholesterol (the "bad" kind) is a major, manageable risk factor, yet over 25.5 percent of adults have elevated levels. This isn't just a health issue; it’s an economic one, too, as heart attacks and strokes disrupt lives and careers.

Finding the Gaps in Care

One of the most critical points the resolution makes isn’t about the disease itself, but about the follow-up care. If you’ve had a major heart event, clinical guidelines recommend getting your LDL-C tested again within 90 days of leaving the hospital. But the data shows only about 27 percent of patients actually get this crucial test. That’s a huge gap where people are missing the chance to adjust their treatment and prevent a second, often fatal, event. The resolution specifically highlights that African-American adults, who already face higher rates of heart disease, are less likely to receive this essential follow-up testing, pointing to serious disparities in the system.

The Takeaway for Your Wallet and Wellness

Since this is a non-binding resolution, it won't directly affect your paycheck or your insurance premiums. However, the real impact is on public health messaging. By formally designating these awareness periods, Congress is signaling to public health agencies, doctors, and media outlets that this is a priority. For you, the busy person juggling work and life, the message is simple and direct: know your LDL-C number. If you’re in your 30s or 40s, high cholesterol might feel like an "old person's problem," but plaque buildup starts early. Getting tested is cheap and easy, and managing high cholesterol can drastically reduce the risk of a major heart event that could sideline you from work and family for good. This resolution is essentially a nudge to get proactive about a health risk that is often silent until it’s too late.