The Recommended Cholesterol Levels by Age

OVERVIEW

Good heart health is like a building block: It’s cumulative. The earlier you start making healthy lifestyle choices, the better off you will be as you get older. This is particularly true when it comes to high cholesterol.

Your total cholesterol level is the overall amount of cholesterol found in your blood. It consists of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL is also called “bad” cholesterol because it blocks your blood vessels and increases your risk of heart disease. HDL is considered “good” cholesterol because it helps protect you from heart disease. The higher your HDL, the better. Finally, total cholesterol includes a triglycerides count. These are another type of fat that can build up in the body. High levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL raise your risk for heart disease.

Cholesterol in adults

The American Heart Association recommends that all adults have their cholesterol checked every four to six years, starting at age 20, which is when cholesterol levels can start to go up. As we age, cholesterol levels tend to rise. Men are generally at a higher risk than women. However, a woman’s risk goes up after she hits menopause. For those with high cholesterol, more frequent testing is recommended.

Cholesterol chart for adults

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, these are the acceptable, borderline, and high cholesterol and triglyceride measurements for adults. All values are in mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).

	Total cholesterol	HDL cholesterol	LDL cholesterol	Triglycerides
Good	Less than 200	40 or higher	Less than 100	Less than 149
Borderline	200–239	n/a	130–159	150–199
High	240 or higher	n/a	160 or higher	200 or higher
Low	n/a	less than 40	n/a	n/a

Cholesterol in children

Children who are physically active, have a healthy diet, aren’t overweight, and don’t have a family history of high cholesterol are at a lower risk for having high cholesterol.

Current guidelines recommend that all children have their cholesterol checked between ages 9 and 12 and then again between ages 17 and 21. Kids with higher risk factors, like diabetes or a family history of high cholesterol, should be checked between ages 2 and 8 and again between ages 12 and 16.

Cholesterol chart for children

Following are the recommended cholesterol levels for children according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). All values are in mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).

	Total cholesterol	HDL cholesterol	LDL cholesterol	Triglycerides
Good	170 or less	45 or higher	110 or less	less than 75 in children 0–9; less than 90 in children 10–19
Borderline	170–199	40-45	110–129	75-99 in children 0–9; 90–129 in children 10–19
High	200 or higher	n/a	greater than 130	100 or more in children 0–9; 130 or more in children 10–19
Low	n/a	less than 40	n/a	n/a

Lifestyle changes

The good news is that lifestyle changes are effective in helping you reduce cholesterol levels. They’re also fairly straightforward and can be done at any age.

• Exercise: Physical activity helps you lose weight and boosts your HDL levels. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes a day of moderate cardio.
• Eat more fiber: Replace white breads and pastas with whole grains.
• Eat healthy fats: Olive oil, avocado, and nuts all have fats that won’t raise your LDL.
• Limit cholesterol intake: Reduce the amount of high-saturated fat foods like cheese, whole milk, and high-fat red meats.
• Quit smoking.

It’s important to remember that everyone is different. Family history and whether or not you have other conditions, such as diabetes, plays a role in your individual risks. Talk to your doctor about your cholesterol levels and ask what he or she thinks your numbers should be.