Definition of National Cholesterol Education Program

National Cholesterol Education Program: NCEP. A program designed to reduce illness and death from coronary heart disease (CHD) in the US by reducing the percentage of Americans with high blood cholesterol. Through educational efforts directed at health professionals and the public, the NCEP aims to raise awareness and understanding about high blood cholesterol as a risk factor for CHD and the benefits of lowering cholesterol levels as a means of preventing CHD. NCEP was begun by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in November 1985.