The pan-South African survey on the under-treatment of hypercholesterolaemia was laun-ched this week, following a European study which found that 40% of patients using lipid-lowering drugs had not reached their targeted cholesterol level.

The local study will include the black population for the first time, according to Professor Derick Raal, head of the Lipid Clinic at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.

"The misconception out there is that cholesterol is a white man's disease, but the black population is becoming more westernised, and is starting to have heart attacks," he said.

Three thousand state and private patients already on cholesterol medication will be tested at 70 sites.