<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, high blood low density lipoprotein cholesterol, low blood high density lipoprotein cholesterol and hypertriglyceridemia among Chinese adults in 2010.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Levels of triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) were determined in fasting serum for subjects who were selected by multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling in from 162 surveillance points of 31 provinces in 2010. Prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, high blood LDL-C, low blood HDL-C and hypertriglyceridemia of 97 409 subjects was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After the complex weighting, prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in Chinese adults was 3.3%, with 2.2%, 4.7% and 4.7% in the groups of 18 - 44, 45 - 59 and over 60 years old (P < 0.01), respectively, 3.4% and 3.2% in males and females (P > 0.05), respectively, 4.2% and 2.9% in urban and rural areas (P < 0.01), 4.2%, 2.4% and 3.1% in areas of east, central and west (P < 0.01). Prevalence of high blood LDL-C was 2.1%, with 1.3%, 3.0% and 3.6% in the groups of 18 - 44, 45 - 59 and over 60 years old (P < 0.01), respectively, 2.1% in both males and females (P > 0.05), 3.0% and 1.8% in urban and rural areas (P < 0.01), and 2.9%, 1.5% and 1.8% in areas of east, central and west (P < 0.01), respectively. Prevalence of low blood HDL-C was 44.8%, with 46.9%, 42.6% and 41.2% in the groups of 18 - 44, 45 - 59 and over 60 years old (P < 0.01), 50.6% and 38.9% in males and females (P < 0.01), respectively, 45.4% and 44.6% in urban and rural areas (P < 0.05), and 43.5%, 43.3% and 48.6% in areas of east, central and west (P < 0.01). Prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was 11.3%, with 10.1%, 14.2% and 10.8% in the groups of 18 - 44, 45 - 59 and over 60 years old (P < 0.01), respectively, 13.8% and 8.6% in males and females (P < 0.01), respectively, 12.1% and 10.9% in urban and rural areas (P < 0.01), and 11.0%, 11.7% and 11.2% in areas of east, central and west (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Low blood HDL-C and hypertriglyceridemia are two major types of dyslipidemia in Chinese adults.</p>