Cholesterol levels generally increase with age. For men, being older than 45 is a risk factor for raised cholesterol levels, while if you're a woman, the key age is 55. This means that older people tend to be at greater risk of developing heart disease.
Generally speaking, it's recommended that an individual's total cholesterol levels (including HDL, LDL and triglycerides) remain lower than 200 mg/dL. Cholesterol levels of 200-239 mg/dL are considered borderline high, while levels of 240 mg/dL and above are considered high risk.
Total cholesterol levels steadily increase with age from 20 to 65, following which they decrease slightly in men and tend to plateau in women. Elevated cholesterol levels are not uncommon in the elderly (61% of women aged between 65 and 74 have total cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L [240 mg/dL]).
Young adults whose family history includes high cholesterol are more likely to develop this condition in their 20s and 30s. Having diabetes and eating an unhealthy diet also can increase your risk of developing high cholesterol.
Those aged 40 to 59 years had the highest prevalence of high cholesterol (15.1%) than those aged 20–39 (7.5%) and 60 and over (11.7%).
As a general guide, total cholesterol levels should be: 5mmol/L or less for healthy adults. 4mmol/L or less for those at high risk.
Total cholesterol levels should be lower than 5.5 mmol/L, if you have no other risk factors. If you have cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, pre-existing cardiovascular (heart) disease or diabetes, or you smoke, the aim for LDL cholesterol levels would be less than 2 mmol/L.
High cholesterol levels are considered: too high: between 5 and 6.4mmol/l. very high: between 6.5 and 7.8mmol/l. extremely high: above 7.8mmol/l.
Can you be healthy with high cholesterol? Having high overall cholesterol does not mean a person is unhealthy. However, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or 'bad' cholesterol levels carry an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. The body requires a certain amount of cholesterol to function properly.
Untreated or undertreated high cholesterol is associated with a lower life span due to the risk of heart attack and stroke, but it's still possible to live a long life with high cholesterol, provided you follow a heart-healthy lifestyle and take medication if needed.
Total cholesterol of 5.8mmols/l is higher than recommended, but could be reduced with simple diet and lifestyle changes rather than medical treatment. Medical treatment would only be appropriate if the level was much higher.
They combine with other substances in your blood to form plaque (fatty deposits). This plaque might not cause any problems for years, but over time, the plaque silently gets bigger and bigger within your arteries. This is why untreated high cholesterol is dangerous.
After having their cholesterol tested, seniors should be given a number between 190 and 260. Healthy seniors should keep their total cholesterol below 200 and their LDL cholesterol around 100. If your elderly loved one's LDL cholesterol level is above 160, he or she must start making sweeping lifestyle changes.
A normal total cholesterol level for adults without heart disease is less than 200 mg/dL.
LDL -cholesterol levels greater than 3.5 mmol/L are considered elevated for some people at low cardiovascular risk and most individuals at intermediate risk and may need behavior modifications and/or pharmacological treatment Note 5 (see About cholesterol).
“If you're someone who has a relatively healthy lifestyle and your cholesterol levels are high — if you have an LDL greater than 160 — you probably have some genetic component that leads to high cholesterol,” says Raj Khandwalla, MD, cardiologist and director of digital therapeutics at Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars- ...
“The body creates cholesterol in amounts much larger than what you can eat, so avoiding foods that are high in cholesterol won't affect your blood cholesterol levels very much.” About 85% of the cholesterol in the circulation is manufactured by the body in the liver.
Your LDL cholesterol number is: Optimal if it is less than 2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) Near optimal/above optimal if it is 2.6 3.3 mmol/L (100-129 mg/dL) Borderline high if it is 3.4 4.1 mmol/L (130-159 mg/dL)
A person is considered at high risk for developing heart disease if their total cholesterol level is higher than 240 mg/dL, LDL levels are higher than 160 mg/dL (190 mg/dL is even higher risk), and if the HDL level is below 40 mg/dL.
Levels of LDL cholesterol higher than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) are linked to an increased risk for ischemic stroke.
A complete cholesterol test will measure your blood's total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels. According to the guidelines provided by healthcare experts, normal total cholesterol levels in Australia for individuals at high risk are 4.0 mmol/L and 5.5 mmol/L for the general population.