Normal Cholesterol Levels By Age

Answer 1

You may wonder what constitutes normal cholesterol levels by age. It is natural to experience changes in your cholesterol that correspond with certain life events. That said, the ideal cholesterol levels for men and women never actually change once you reach adulthood. Below are some cholesterol considerations for women and men at every age.

Cholesterol levels for men

A number of different factors contribute to your overall cholesterol level, but the general rule is that that number should always stay below 200. Any level over 200 is borderline high while anything over 240 is considered high and poses a real health risk. While metabolism helps children and young men to maintain a healthy cholesterol level, it is normal for most men to see a dramatic change in their levels over the age of 40. The best way to demonstrate this is by the average cholesterol readings for those two age groups. For example, men under the age of 40 have an average overall cholesterol reading of 185; that jumps to an average of 205 for the ages of 40-49 and to 208 for 50 and over. In other words, the average man over 40 is now at risk of Heart disease due to high cholesterol.

Cholesterol levels for women

As with men, the ideal cholesterol levels for women of all ages are under 200, and the lower they go the better. Women have the biggest issues maintaining a healthy cholesterol level following menopause. Women under the age of 40 actually have a lower average cholesterol score than men of the same age (183), but that average jumps to a borderline score of 194 between the ages of 40 and 49. By 50-59 years, cholesterol levels for women overtake those of men, coming in at a dangerous average of 219.

For high cholesterol information and advice from the trusted medical experts at the Mayo Clinic, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-cholesterol/DS00178.

It is normal for cholesterol levels in both men and women to climb with age, but that does not mean that the higher score is healthy in any way.

Answer 2

Maintaining the right levels of cholesterol in your bloodstream is a key part of sustaining your overall health in the long run. Consequently, many people want to know what a normal cholesterol level is. Unlike many other physical traits, the correct level of this one does not vary with size or age. However, there is some terminology that needs to be explained in order to properly understand your own cholesterol levels.

How to Read Cholesterol Levels

When a physician tells you about your cholesterol level, it reads like a score. He or she will basically tell you a number or a series of numbers. These numbers refer to the number of milligrams of cholesterol in each deciliter of your blood. For example, if you had 70 milligrams of a type of cholesterol in each deciliter of blood, this would read as 70 mg/dL.

Types of Cholesterol

There are essentially two types of cholesterol. They are colloquially known as good and bad cholesterol. Low-density lipids (LDL) cholesterol is the bad cholesterol. Too much of this in your blood can lead to clogging of the arteries and an eventual heart attack. High density lipid (HDL) cholesterol is the good cholesterol. This substance helps to keep the LDL cholesterol from attaching to the sides of your arteries. You actually want to maintain high levels of HDL cholesterol.

Normal LDL Cholesterol

Doctors would like to see their patients maintain an LDL level at around 60 mg/dL. This is ideal, especially for people at risk of heart disease. This ideal is very hard to reach on an average North American diet. For this reason, doctors are often satisfied if patients can keep their levels below 100 mg/dL. Anything above that level is considered risky.

Normal HDL Cholesterol

You should maintain your good cholesterol level at around 50 or 60 mg/dL. As long as patients can keep this level above 40 mg/dl, they are considered safe. The level of HDL cholesterol can be raised through changes in diet and exercise