Health ranges, what is high, and tips

Cholesterol levels vary by age, weight, and sex. They typically increase over time, and people over 20 should check their cholesterol levels every 5 years.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that nearly 94 million adults in the United States have high cholesterol. This increases a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke.

In this article, we look at how doctors measure cholesterol and the healthy levels at different stages of life. We also look at ways of lowering cholesterol and maintaining acceptable levels.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance. There are two types: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

If there is too much LDL or “bad” cholesterol in the bloodstream, it can build up in blood vessels, forming fatty deposits called plaques.These plaques can lead to other problems, including heart attacks and strokes.

Total and LDL cholesterol levels should be low. But having more HDL or “good,” cholesterol in the blood may reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Doctors can measure HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol levels. The results may also show levels of all non-HDL fats that can raise the risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol levels tend to increase with age. Taking steps to reach or maintain healthy levels earlier in life may prevent them from becoming dangerously high over time. Years of unmanaged cholesterol levels can be challenging to treat.

The CDC recommends that people aged 20 or over check their cholesterol levels at least once every 4–6 years or more frequently if they have other cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Children should have at least one cholesterol test at age 9–11 and another one at age 17–21. However, children with risk factors for high cholesterol may need more frequent checks.

Typically, males tend to have higher levels throughout their lives than females. A male’s cholesterol levels increase with age, and a female’s cholesterol levels rise after menopause.

The table below shows healthy levels of cholesterol by age, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Doctors measure cholesterol in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl).

For adults aged 20 and over, the following levels are significant:

For HDL cholesterol, higher levels are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease:

Aging aside, any changes in cholesterol levels usually stem from health conditions and lifestyle factors. Below, we describe healthy and unhealthy ranges in more detail.

Cholesterol levels for adults

A doctor may classify a person’s levels as high or low, borderline, or healthy.

Ideally, LDL cholesterol levels should be less than 100 mg/dl. Doctors may not express concern about levels of 100–129 mg/dl for people with no health issues, but they may suggest treatment at this stage for people with heart disease or its risk factors.

Cholesterol levels for children

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the following measures apply for children and adolescents aged 19 and below:

Other factors that affect blood cholesterol

The CDC point outs that some health conditions and lifestyle factors can raise cholesterol levels. It says that type 2 diabetes, for example, raises LDL cholesterol levels, as does familial hypercholesterolemia.

The CDC also states that having a diet high in saturated fats and getting low levels of exercise may contribute to high cholesterol levels.

In addition, it acknowledges that having family members with high cholesterol increases a person’s risk.

The NIH recommends these strategies for lowering cholesterol levels:

• having a diet rich in heart-healthy foods, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains
• becoming more physically active
• quitting smoking, if this applies
• having a moderate weight
• managing stress

The NIH recommends consulting a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise plan. Overall, current guidelines advise people to aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise as well as muscle-strengthening exercise 2 days per week.

Having a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise can also bring down high cholesterol levels in children.

Generally, the earlier a person starts making these changes, the better for their cholesterol levels, as cholesterol builds up over time.

High cholesterol at any age increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. These risks only increase over time.

Drug therapies to treat high cholesterol

When lifestyle changes alone cannot bring down high cholesterol, doctors may recommend medications. The CDC reports that the following drugs and supplements can help:

• Statins: Statins keep the liver from producing cholesterol and are the most common medication for high cholesterol.

• Bile acid sequestrants: These drugs reduce the amount of fat that the body absorbs from food.
• Cholesterol absorption inhibitors: These drugs lower levels of fats called triglycerides in the blood and reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food.
• Some vitamins and supplements: These, such as niacin, stop the liver from removing HDL and lower levels of triglycerides.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: These raise HDL levels and lower triglyceride levels.

Before the age of 18, a doctor should check a child’s cholesterol levels at least twice. If the child’s family has a history of heart disease, overweight, or certain other health conditions, doctors may recommend checking levels more often.

A healthcare professional should check cholesterol levels in adults aged 20 or older every 4–6 years.

The doctor may recommend treatment if:

• The results show high or borderline high levels of total and LDL cholesterol.
• The person is overweight.
• The person has a family history of heart disease.

Here are some questions people often ask about cholesterol levels.

What is the target range for cholesterol levels by age?

For children and teens, borderline high total cholesterol levels are 170–199 mg/dl and borderline high LDL levels are 100–129 mg/dl. For adults aged 20 and over, borderline high total cholesterol levels are 200–239 mg/dl and borderline high LDL levels are 130–159 mg/dl. Over this is very high.

What is a serious cholesterol level?

If total cholesterol levels are 240 mg/dl or above, a doctor will consider this very high, while 200–239 mg/dl is borderline high. Very high levels of LDL are 190 mg/dl and above. HDL cholesterol levels of 40 mg/dl or less are very low and a major risk factor for heart disease.

What reduces cholesterol quickly?

Dietary measures, weight management, and exercise can all help lower cholesterol levels. A doctor may prescribe medication if the person has other cardiovascular risk factors or if their levels are very high or do not respond to lifestyle measures.

Cholesterol levels increase with age, and having high cholesterol at any age increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Reaching or maintaining healthy levels may involve lifestyle changes and, if these are not enough, prescription medication.

A doctor should check cholesterol levels in adults, starting at the age of 20, every 4–6 years.

What is the normal range?

Non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is a way of measuring “bad” cholesterol in the body. A healthy range for adults aged 20 years and over is less than 130 milligrams per deciliter, according to the National Institutes of Health.

People need cholesterol for specific functions in the body, including building cells and making certain hormones and vitamins. However, excess cholesterol in the blood, especially “bad” cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, is detrimental to the body. It increases the risk of heart disease and other health issues.

Lipid profiles or lipid panels are blood tests that can measure a person’s cholesterol levels. They help doctors predict someone’s risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart disease.

One important measure of “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood test result is non-HDL cholesterol.

This article discusses non-HDL cholesterol, what it includes, and its typical range. It also explores other indicators that cholesterol tests involve and the levels that health experts consider healthy.

Doctors commonly measure non-HDL cholesterol levels in a lipid panel, also known as a cholesterol test.

It covers all the “bad” types of cholesterol in the body by subtracting HDL, or “good” cholesterol, from a person’s total cholesterol.

Many experts consider non-HDL a superior predictor of heart disease risk than LDL and cholesterol ratios because it encompasses LDL, very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.

The typical range of non-HDL cholesterol varies with age. Anyone aged 19 and younger should have under 120 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). Meanwhile, it should be under 130 mg/dl for anyone aged 20 years or older.

The higher the non-HDL cholesterol, the higher the risk of heart disease.

Learn more about high non-HDL cholesterol levels.

Not all lipid panel tests include the non-HDL cholesterol measurement. A doctor may request a lipid panel with non-HDL cholesterol if a person has a condition that puts them at a higher risk of heart disease.

People can calculate their non-HDL cholesterol by using their test results and following the equation: total cholesterol – HDL = non-HDL.

For example, if a person has a total cholesterol of 240 mg/dl and an HDL of 40, their non-HDL is 200 mg/dl.

Learn more about cholesterol ratios and why they are important.

Cholesterol tests usually report the following numbers and ratios:

• Total cholesterol (TC): This measures the total amount of cholesterol in the body, including HDL and LDL.
• HDL level: Health experts call HDL “good” cholesterol that helps clear fats from the bloodstream. The higher the level of HDL, the lower the person’s risk of heart disease. Learn more about HDL levels here.
• LDL level: Health experts call LDL “bad” cholesterol. It is the main cause of cholesterol buildup that blocks artery walls and causes atherosclerosis. Learn more about LDL here.
• VLDL level: VLDL mainly carries triglycerides away from the bloodstream into the body’s tissues. VLDL contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries. Learn more about VLDL here.
• Triglycerides: Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood that stores unused calories. Learn more about high triglycerides here.
• TC:HDL ratio: This ratio compares HDL in comparison with total cholesterol. Health experts consider scores above 5 as high.
• LDL-HDL ratio: Doctors commonly use this ratio to determine a person’s risk of heart disease. An individual can calculate this by dividing LDL by HDL. Health experts consider scores under 5 as healthy.
• Triglyceride-HDL ratio: Another ratio that can help indicate a person’s risk of developing coronary artery disease. People can calculate this by dividing their triglyceride number by their HDL result.

The table below shows the expected healthy cholesterol level based on age and gender according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

However, a doctor may have different cholesterol target goals for individuals with an existing or high risk of heart disease.

Meanwhile, the desirable total cholesterol to HDL ratio is 5:1, but the ideal ratio is 3. 5 to 1. A 2019 study shows that doctors can use the TC:HDL ratio to identify people at risk of early acute myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack.

Learn more about healthy cholesterol levels here.

High cholesterol level does not cause symptoms. A person can only determine if they have high cholesterol if they take a lipid profile test.

Experts recommend individuals undergo regular screening to keep their cholesterol levels in check. They state that:

• individuals aged 9–11 should undergo screening every 5 years
• males aged 45–65 and females aged 55–65 should undergo screening every 1–2 years
• people older than 65 years should undergo annual screening

They may also ask individuals at risk of heart disease to have their levels checked more often. These include those with:

• heart disease
• high cholesterol
• diabetes
• high blood pressure
• obesity

A person whose cholesterol results fall outside typical ranges should talk with their doctor. Aside from lifestyle changes, healthcare professionals may recommend regular screening to monitor their cholesterol levels and determine the need for medications.

Cholesterol readings are generally helpful in providing an overview of a person’s general health. However, many experts find non-HDL cholesterol to be a more reliable measure of someone’s heart disease risk.

A person with high levels of non-HDL cholesterol or undesirable cholesterol levels should talk with their doctors, who can help them reach or maintain healthy cholesterol levels. This may involve making lifestyle changes and, in some cases, prescription medications.

Is cholesterol so dangerous: we distinguish between harmful and beneficial types and learn to manage it – December 4, 2022

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Healthy life course

What is the norm and is it true that it’s not just about nutrition?

December 4, 2022, 10:59

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A sedentary lifestyle, lack of regular exercise in the fresh air, overeating lead to the accumulation of bad cholesterolIllustration: Yuri Orlov / City portals

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This material is about cholesterol. Many have heard that he is good and bad, but what does this mean? What other lipids need to be controlled, and why is it not just about nutrition? Maria Tishchenko, a medical observer at the NHS, found out the answers to these questions.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that the body produces on its own and also gets from food. It is an indispensable building material for all cell membranes. Cholesterol is also used in the synthesis of adrenal hormones, sex hormones, vitamin D.

– Cholesterol is usually divided into “good” and “bad”. In fact, this characteristic does not refer to the substance itself, but to lipoproteins. These are proteins that carry cholesterol through the bloodstream to tissues and organs. High-density lipoproteins perform a purely useful function, but low-density carriers tend to attach to the walls of blood vessels and form plaques, explains Ekaterina Kashukh, an expert at the Hemotest laboratory.

Since low-density lipoproteins damage the health of blood vessels, the expert explains, the cholesterol in their composition is called “bad”. The higher the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood, the higher the risk of cardiovascular diseases and their complications: coronary heart disease, heart attack, cerebrovascular accident.

There are different tests to check your cholesterol. The basic study is a test for total cholesterol: it will give a general idea of ​​​​the metabolism of a substance.

Please note that these are averages, in different laboratories the upper limit of the norm may be indicated differently!

According to Ekaterina Kashukh, the norm of total cholesterol in the blood does not differ in men and women over 18: values ​​above 5.18 mmol/l are considered elevated: for more detailed diagnostics. Thus, it is possible to evaluate the content of high and low density lipoproteins separately, as well as their ratio. This study is called the atherogenic index. If the indicator is above 4 mmol / l, this indicates a high risk of developing atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

Cardiologist of the network of multidisciplinary clinics for the whole family “1 + 1” Maxim Petrunin gives the following example: men have a normal cholesterol level – from 3. 5 to 6 mmol / l, preferably even up to 5.5; in women – from 3 to 5.5 mmol / l.

Cholesterol can be checked by donating blood from a veinPhoto: Maria Tishchenko / NGS.RU

Indeed, about a quarter of cholesterol enters the body with food, so dietary modification is the basic way to reduce cholesterol. Other well-known causes of high cholesterol are lack of physical activity and being overweight, says Ekaterina Kashukh.

However, there are factors that increase cholesterol, which do not depend on lifestyle. This is heredity, when, due to genetic mutations, an excess of a substance in the blood is formed. Cholesterol can also rise due to pathologies of the liver, the organ that produces most of the substance in the body.

Maxim Petrunin focuses on the fact that up to 30% of cholesterol enters the body with food, the rest is mechanisms that are not dependent on food.

He explains that cholesterol-raising foods include: meat, dairy products, palm and trans fats. Cholesterol-lowering foods include: oatmeal, soybeans, fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, fatty sea fish.

Therapist at the Zdravitsa Family Medicine Center Evgenia Shutovich tells that it is now important to monitor all blood lipids, not only cholesterol: this issue is very relevant, since lipid metabolism disorders are considered as a leading factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis and related complications:

– Dyslipidemia – a violation of blood lipid metabolism. The concept includes a wide range of lipid metabolism disorders, so it is important to know not only the level of one cholesterol, but it is necessary to donate blood to the lipid spectrum (the so-called lipidogram), where several indicators of blood lipids and lipoproteins are examined.

Here are the main reasons, but not allYuriy Orlov / City Portals

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Total cholesterol. Elevated blood cholesterol levels increase the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. It is better if the level is not higher than 5–5.5.

Triglycerides is a source of energy and the main form of its storage in the body. But with an excess of calorie intake, combined with physical inactivity, adipose tissue begins to accumulate triglycerides. Hypertriglyceridemia can occur with overweight, alcohol abuse, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, hereditary metabolic disorders. The blood level should not exceed 1.7.

Low density lipoproteins (LDL) are particles that transport cholesterol to all cells of the body. High rates indicate an increased risk of cholesterol deposition in the vascular bed, the possible formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which can narrow the lumen of the vessels and contribute to thrombosis. It is necessary to strive for their indicators to be less than 3.0 at a low risk of cardiovascular diseases, and less than 1.4 at a very high risk.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) – the so-called good lipids – are particles that circulate in the bloodstream that bind excess cholesterol and are transported to the liver, where cholesterol is converted into bile acids and excreted from the body. Women tend to have higher HDL than men. Normally, this fraction is > 1.2 in women and > 1.0 in men.

Atherogenic index is a calculated indicator that reflects the degree of risk of developing diseases of the heart and blood vessels, the higher it is, the higher the risk. Normally, it ranges from 2.2 to 3.5.

If cholesterol is elevated, it is better to look at other lipids in the bloodYuri Orlov / City portals

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Evgenia Shutovich explains that changes in cholesterol levels directly depend on the hormonal background: estrogens reduce, and androgens, on the contrary, increase the level of total cholesterol:

— When analyzing the lipid profile, it is very important to take into account the peculiarities of the hormonal background. Pre-menopausal women are known to have higher levels of high-density lipoproteins (“good”) than men. Therefore, the risk of cardiovascular diseases in this period is less for them than for men.

However, the doctor notes, after menopause there is a decrease in “good” lipoproteins and an increase in total cholesterol, as a result of which the risk of cardiovascular diseases increases. Therefore, it is important to be screened for pre- and menopausal women.

— It should also be noted that cholesterol levels may increase during pregnancy. In men, the level of cholesterol can rise in middle age, which is again due to the influence of androgens, emphasizes Evgenia Shutovich.

Evgenia Shutovich recommends blood lipid testing for men over 40 and women over 50 or after menopause. And also to patients with various diseases (for example, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, suffered a heart attack or stroke) and those who receive hormonal drugs for a long time.

Those who have these diseases especially need to monitor lipidsYuriy Orlov / City portals

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In most cases, the doctor selects drugs for treatment that affect the liver and block excess cholesterol production. The specialist also offers a special diet, recommendations on the level of physical activity and physical therapy, in particular to reduce excess weight, if you have such a problem.

It is important to keep a diet, Yevgenia Shutovich draws attention:

— It is necessary to limit the consumption of animal fats, avoid eating white bread and bakery products; add sea fish, fruits, vegetables, cereals to the diet. It is important not to exceed the daily calorie intake. And do not forget about sufficient physical activity, according to portability. It can be outdoor walks, group classes, a pool, walking on a treadmill.

A sedentary lifestyle, lack of regular exercise in the fresh air, and overeating lead to the accumulation of bad cholesterol. but not allYuri Orlov / City portals

If cholesterol is high, it is better to look at other blood lipidsYuri Orlov / City portals

Those who have these diseases should especially monitor lipidsYuri Orlov / City portals

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Lipidogram: reading cholesterol analysis – Regional Children’s Hospital

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Lipidogram: reading cholesterol analysis

Dyslipidemia is a hereditary or acquired condition characterized by a violation of the formation, metabolism and excretion of lipoproteins and fats from the body, which leads to an increase or decrease in their content in the blood.
Lipid screening is a blood chemistry test that detects dyslipidemia. We donate blood from a vein, on an empty stomach (after 12 hours of fasting). No special diets are necessary before the analysis! We need real values, not dietary data.

Main indicators:
Cholesterol
Normal values ​​3.1-5.2 mmol/l
Borderline high level 5.2-6.2 mmol/l
High level > 6.2 mmol/l
High 9 0253 cholesterol – the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Low cholesterol is also bad. Its deficiency reduces the synthesis of sex hormones, possibly with necrosis of liver cells, oncological diseases, etc.
High density lipoproteins (HDL) – “good” cholesterol. Carry cholesterol to the liver. The higher the number, the better (norm for men > 1.42 mmol / l, norm for women > 1.72 mmol / l).
Low density lipoproteins (LDL) – “bad” cholesterol. LDL carry cholesterol from the liver to the periphery (to the vessels and organs). Contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. The lower the number, the better (the norm is up to 2.59 mmol / l).

Atherogenic coefficient (CA) is a numerical expression of cardiovascular risks. The normal value is 2-3. The higher the score, the worse.
Triglycerides (TG) – normal less than 1.7 mmol/L. The TG level allows you to judge how carefully the patient is following the diet.
If KA and TG level are normal – fat metabolism is not disturbed. The level of total cholesterol in this case is not of great clinical significance.
If TG is elevated and/or HDL is below normal , then your fat metabolism is most likely impaired.