{"id":62439,"date":"2024-01-08T09:30:11","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T14:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=62439"},"modified":"2025-09-24T13:51:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T17:51:38","slug":"cholesterol-levels-by-age-chart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/cholesterol-levels-by-age-chart\/","title":{"rendered":"Here is what your cholesterol should be at each age"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve likely heard that there is \u201cgood\u201d cholesterol and \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol, but knowing what ranges are healthy for each might be a little hard to discern\u2014especially because the numbers do change with age.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cholesterol is a waxy substance, similar to fat, that is produced by the liver. It\u2019s found in all of the cells in your body. It comes in two forms: blood cholesterol in our body and dietary cholesterol in food. Blood cholesterol is made by your own liver and helps to make hormones and digest fatty foods. Dietary cholesterol is found in animal foods like meat, eggs, seafood, poultry, and dairy products; it contributes only a modest amount to the blood cholesterol level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blood cholesterol accounts for your total cholesterol level, which is measured by a group of blood tests called a lipid panel. You don\u2019t want your total numbers to be too high\u2014but past that, things can be confusing. However, it\u2019s important to try to understand your ideal numbers because high cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read on to learn about the different types of cholesterol and the numbers to shoot for in each stage of your life. The sooner you understand what a healthy level is for you, the sooner you can start doing something about it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-is-cholesterol-measured\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How is cholesterol measured?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After you provide blood work for a lipid profile (also known as a lipoprotein panel), your total cholesterol level is determined along with three other values:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>LDL cholesterol level<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> measures the amount of low-density lipoproteins\u2014the \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol\u2014in your blood.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>HDL cholesterol level<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> measures the amount of high-density lipoproteins\u2014the \u201cgood\u201d cholesterol\u2014in your blood.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Triglyceride level<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> measures the amount of triglycerides\u2014a type of fat that the body uses for energy\u2014in your blood.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-a-healthy-cholesterol-level-by-age\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is a healthy cholesterol level by age?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA healthy triglyceride level and a healthy LDL cholesterol level are both less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg\/dL),\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/profiles\/details\/roger-blumenthal\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roger Blumenthal, MD<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, director of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/heart-vascular-institute\/cardiology\/ciccarone\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Preventive Cardiology Center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and spokesperson for the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/heart.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Heart Association<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cFor men, a healthy HDL cholesterol level is 45 or greater. For women, it\u2019s 50 or greater.\u201d Dr. Blumenthal cited those numbers as a healthy standard for all adults, regardless of age, but, for most people, as they get older, it can get harder and harder to maintain those levels. Meaning, the guidelines for what\u2019s considered optimal change because cholesterol levels naturally increase with age.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen we\u2019re younger, on average, the LDL cholesterol is maybe 10, 20, or 30 points lower,\u201d Dr. Blumenthal says. As people age, their bodies lose the ability to clear cholesterol from the bloodstream as efficiently as they did when they were younger\u2014which increases the risk of high cholesterol and associated complications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFor most people, regardless of what you do, LDL cholesterol tends to go up as you age,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vivo.weill.cornell.edu\/display\/cwid-smk9018\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Samuel Kim, MD<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the director of preventive cardiology at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/weillcornell.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and spokesperson for the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.acc.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American College of Cardiology<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cPost menopause we can often see a substantial jump, as well. So it\u2019s even more important as we get older to continue leading a healthy lifestyle to maintain those lower levels.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You will often have a lipid panel as part of a routine checkup, especially when people have one or more risk factors for high cholesterol. \u201cWhen you get a cholesterol panel, you\u2019re probably going to see four main numbers,\u201d Dr. Kim says. \u201cThe first one is your total cholesterol, which is sort of a summary score based on the three components of your cholesterol: your LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Those are the other three numbers from the panel.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><b>RELATED: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/conditions\/high-cholesterol-symptoms\"><b>What are the early signs of high cholesterol?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"total-cholesterol\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Total cholesterol<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Made up of HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, and largely determined by your metabolism and genetics and to a lesser extent the dietary cholesterol that you ingest, total cholesterol paints an overall picture of the amount of cholesterol in your bloodstream.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\"singlecare-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\n<h3 id=\"total-cholesterol-levels-by-age\">Total cholesterol levels by age<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"header-row\">\n<td><b>Age\/sex<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Classification<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Total cholesterol<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Males 19 and younger<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 170 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">170-199 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">200+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Males 20 and older<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">125-200 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">200-239 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">240+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Females 19 and younger<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 170 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">170-199 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">200+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Females 20 and older<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">125-200 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">200-239 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">240+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><small><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cleveland Clinic<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/cholesterollevelswhatyouneedtoknow.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MedLine Plus<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/kidshealth.org\/en\/parents\/cholesterol.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nemours Kid\u2019s Health<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, this is where you want your total cholesterol levels to be.<\/span><\/i><\/small><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"ldl-cholesterol\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LDL cholesterol<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So why is LDL cholesterol so bad? Well, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as Dr. Blumenthal notes, \u201cLousy LDL cholesterol is the type of cholesterol that gets deposited in the arteries throughout the body.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have too much <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your blood, it can join other substances to form plaque, which can build up in your arteries in a condition called atherosclerosis. When this happens in the heart, it\u2019s called coronary artery disease, a type of cardiovascular disease in which the arteries become hardened and narrowed, blocking blood flow to the heart. If a coronary artery becomes completely blocked, it can cause a heart attack.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol because it\u2019s the one that seems to be the most strongly associated with heart disease,\u201d Dr. Kim says.<\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\"singlecare-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\n<h3 id=\"ldl-cholesterol-ranges-by-age-people-with-no-risk-factors\">LDL cholesterol ranges by age, people with no risk factors<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"header-row\">\n<td><b>Age\/sex<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Classification<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>LDL cholesterol<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Males 19 and younger<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 100 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">110-129 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">130+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Males 20 and older<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 100 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">130-159 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">160+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Females 19 and younger<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 100 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">110-129 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">130+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Females 20 and older<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 100 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">130-159 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">160+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><small><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cleveland Clinic<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/cholesterollevelswhatyouneedtoknow.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MedLine Plus<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/kidshealth.org\/en\/parents\/cholesterol.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nemours Kid\u2019s Health<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, this is where you want your LDL cholesterol levels to be.<\/span><\/i><\/small><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LDL cholesterol goals can be lower for people with certain risk factors, such as a history of heart attack or stroke, or if someone is already taking cholesterol-lowering medication. In those cases, providers like to see lower numbers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen someone is a high-risk person, if they\u2019ve had a heart attack or stroke or bypass surgery, rather than be satisfied with an LDL level of 100, we want to get the LDL number below 70 milligrams per decimeter,\u201d Dr. Blumenthal says.<\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\"singlecare-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\n<h3 id=\"ldl-cholesterol-ranges-by-age-people-with-risk-factors\">LDL cholesterol ranges by age, people with risk factors<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"header-row\">\n<td><b>Age\/sex<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Classification<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>LDL cholesterol<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Males 19 and younger<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 100mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100-129 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">130+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Males 20 and older<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 70 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">70-99 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Females 19 and younger<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 100 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100-129 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">130+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Females 20 and older<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 70 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">70-99 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><small><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cleveland Clinic<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/encyclopedia\/content?ContentTypeID=90&amp;ContentID=P01593\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University of Rochester Medical Center<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, this is where you want your LDL cholesterol levels to be if risk factors are present.<\/span><\/i><\/small><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"triglycerides\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Triglycerides<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although triglycerides aren\u2019t cholesterol, triglyceride levels are generally included in a cholesterol panel. Triglycerides are a kind of fat, called lipids, that circulate in your bloodstream. They\u2019re the most common type of fat in the body, which stores unused calories as triglycerides in your fat cells. Triglycerides are also found in fatty foods, such as oils and butter, and the body turns extra sugars from food into triglycerides.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTriglycerides are especially affected by one\u2019s intake of sweets and carbohydrates,\u201d Dr. Blumenthal says. <\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\"singlecare-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\n<h3 id=\"triglyceride-levels-by-age\">Triglyceride levels by age<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"header-row\">\n<td><b>Age\/sex<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Classification<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>LDL cholesterol<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children 0-9<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 75 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">75-99 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children 10-19<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 90 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">90-129 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">130+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Males 20 and older<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 150 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">150-199 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">200+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td rowspan=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Females 20 and older<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less than 150 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borderline\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">150-199 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">200+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><small><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/triglycerides.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MedLine Plus<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/choc.org\/heart\/facts-about-cholesterol\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CHOC<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, this is where you want your triglyceride levels to be.<\/span><\/i><\/small><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"hdl-cholesterol\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HDL cholesterol<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Made up of a lipid and protein, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol carries excess cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver, which removes the cholesterol from your blood.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol,\u201d says Dr. Kim. \u201cIt helps to counter some of the bad effects from the LDL cholesterol.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Blumenthal explains that you want HDL cholesterol as high as possible because of its role. \u201cHDL cholesterol is involved with removing some of the plaque\u2014the fatty cholesterol and what we call hardened fibrous tissue\u2014from the arteries and taking it back to the liver,\u201d says Dr. Blumenthal.<\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\"singlecare-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\n<h3 id=\"hdl-cholesterol-ranges-by-age\">HDL cholesterol ranges by age<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"header-row\">\n<td><b>Age\/sex<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Classification<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>HDL cholesterol<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Males 19 and younger<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">45+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Males 20 and older<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">40+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Females 19 and younger<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">45+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Females 20 and older<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">50+ mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><small><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cleveland Clinic<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/cholesterollevelswhatyouneedtoknow.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MedLine Plus<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/kidshealth.org\/en\/parents\/cholesterol.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nemours Kid\u2019s Health<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, this is where you want your HDL cholesterol levels to be<\/span><\/i><\/small><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"factors-that-affect-cholesterol-levels\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Factors that affect cholesterol levels\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/cholesterol\/data-research\/facts-stats\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (CDC), in the U.S. in 2020, about 86 million people aged 20 and older had total cholesterol levels above 200 mg\/dL, the upper limit of what doctors consider healthy. This puts them in the borderline category. Nearly 25 million people had levels above 240 mg\/dL, or what is medically considered to be high cholesterol. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/health\/blood-cholesterol\/causes\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Factors that can put you at higher risk<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of high cholesterol include the following.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Unhealthy diet:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0A leading cause of high cholesterol is diets high in saturated and trans fats, sugar, and processed foods, which can significantly elevate cholesterol levels.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Lack of physical activity: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sedentary lifestyles increase weight gain and cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease<\/span><b>. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Family medical history:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Genetic predisposition can increase your risk of high cholesterol risk, so discuss your family history with a healthcare professional for appropriate monitoring.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Underlying health conditions:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conditions like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity raise LDL cholesterol levels, increasing heart disease risk. Familial hypercholesterolemia is a serious genetic condition affecting cholesterol.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Smoking:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cigarette smoke harms blood vessels and lowers HDL cholesterol, contributing to plaque buildup<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-lower-your-cholesterol\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to lower your cholesterol<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For most people who aren\u2019t genetically predisposed toward high cholesterol, the simplest, best way to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/how-to-lower-cholesterol\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lower your cholesterol<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and improve other cardiovascular risk factors is through positive lifestyle changes. \u201cIt always starts with lifestyle,\u201d Dr. Kim says. \u201cThat\u2019s the emphasis.\u201d You can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/cholesterol\/risk-factors\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">make the following changes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Eat a healthy diet. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats can lower cholesterol. Foods to avoid include red meat, fried foods, processed foods, coconut oil, palm oil, butter, cream, whole milk, and egg yolks.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Exercise regularly. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weight loss and consistent physical activity can help manage cholesterol levels. Aim for at least 40 minutes of brisk activity four days a week.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Take cholesterol medication.<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If lifestyle changes are insufficient, healthcare providers may prescribe cholesterol-lowering medications, especially in high-risk individuals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Dr. Kim, most people who need cholesterol-lowering medications start with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/drug-classes\/statins\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">statin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> therapy, which is a once-daily medication that lowers cholesterol by causing the liver to produce less cholesterol. Commonly prescribed statins include Lipitor (atorvastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other medications that are less commonly prescribed to help lower cholesterol include Zetia (ezetimibe), which is a cholesterol-absorption inhibitor,\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/drug-classes\/pcsk9-inhibitors\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PCSK9 inhibitors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/drug-classes\/bile-acid-sequestrants\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bile acid sequestrants<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/drug-classes\/fibrates\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fibrates<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/niacin-antihyperlipidemic\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">niacin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/omega-3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">omega-3 fatty acid supplements<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\"singlecare-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-save-on-cholesterol-medications\">How to save on cholesterol medications<\/h2>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lipitor (atorvastatin)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a class=\"cta-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/atorvastatin-calcium\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coupons<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crestor (rosuvastatin)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a class=\"cta-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/rosuvastatin-calcium\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coupons<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Zocor (simvastatin)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a class=\"cta-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/simvastatin\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coupons<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Zetia (ezetimibe)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a class=\"cta-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/ezetimibe\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coupons<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/es\/recursos\/tabla-niveles-de-colesterol-por-edad\">Lea este art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol aqu\u00ed.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019ve likely heard that there is \u201cgood\u201d cholesterol and \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol, but knowing what ranges are healthy for each might be a little hard to discern\u2014especially because the numbers do change with age.\u00a0 Cholesterol is a waxy substance, similar to fat, that is produced by the liver. It\u2019s found in all of the cells in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":62415,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8029],"tags":[729,737,20952,20953],"coauthors":[11174],"class_list":["post-62439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-education","tag-doctor-visits","tag-heart-health","tag-high-cholesterol","tag-high-triglycerides","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cholesterol levels by age: What is a normal cholesterol level?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Healthy cholesterol levels vary by age. 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