The American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and nine other major medical organizations have released new cholesterol screening and management guidelines. An estimated 1 in 4 U.S. adults have elevated LDL cholesterol, or "bad" cholesterol, which increases the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), including heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol screening is recommended starting in childhood, with people being screened every five years. The new guidelines also call for additional testing to further assess cardiovascular disease risk. The American heart Association has developed a risk calculator called "Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease," or PREVENT. The calculator uses factors such as age, gender, blood pressure, cholesterol, personal history or obesity, diabetes or chronic kidney disease; and smoking status.