RESUMEN
Cholesterol levels were measured at public places (mostly department stores) from 2005 to 2008. Sampling was conducted at random, from volunteers, without any prior dietary restrictions. In total, 14,539 persons were assessed. We did not find any significant differences between sexes in cholesterol levels (overall median was 5 mmol/l; 4.9 mmol/l in men and 5.1 mmol/l in women). Smaller proportion of women than men had cholesterol levels lower than 5.0 mmol/l (53.0% of men and 45.2% of women). Cholesterol levels raise with age in both sexes, stagnate at a certain point and subsequently decline; we identified a significant difference in this between men and women--the levels start to stagnate at the age of 50 in men and beyond the age of 65-70 years in women. The levels fall with increasing age in both sexes after the age 65 years. Cholesterol levels rise with age in both sexes before the age of 50 years; this trend is the same in both sexes (i.e. there is no significant difference between sexes, p = 0.687). Nevertheless, cholesterol levels are statistically significantly higher in women than in men in the over 55 years age group (the difference in the cholesterol level values median is up to 0.8-0.9 mmol/l). This difference is retained to advanced age of > 75 years.