The American Heart Association recommends a fasting lipoprotein profile for everyone over the age of 20 at least once every five years. This profile test records your total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. There are no obvious symptoms of high cholesterol, making definitive results possible only through a blood cholesterol test. The earlier a problem is discovered, the less damage it will do to the body and the faster you can develop a cholesterol management program.
High cholesterol, also referred to as hypercholesterolemia, has been linked to a variety of health conditions including coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure to name a few.
Normal cholesterol levels may vary by age, race, gender, lifestyle, diet and weight.
Having a lipid panel done is the most effective practice for early detection of a variety of medical problems. A lipid is a broad group of molecules, this includes cholesterol.
What does a normal test look like?
| Total Cholesterol | Less than 200 mg/dL |
| HDL Cholesterol | Greather than 40 mg/dl |
| LDL Cholesterol | 60 to 130 mg/dl |
| Triglycerides | 10 to 150 mg/dl |
| VLDL | 2 to 38 mg/dl |
| **mg/dL = milligrams per deciliter | |
Frequency of high cholesterol in the United States as reported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
| Race or Ethnic Group | Men (%) | Women (%) |
| African Americans | 11.2 | 13.0 |
| Mexican Americans | 17.7 | 13.8 |
| Whites | 16.0 | 17.9 |
| All | 15.6 | 16.9 |
| Age | Men (%) | Women (%) |
| 20-34 | 9.5 | 10.3 |
| 35-44 | 20.5 | 12.7 |
| 45-54 | 20.8 | 19.7 |
| 55-64 | 16.0 | 30.5 |
| 65-74 | 10.9 | 24.2 |
| 75 and older | 9.6 | 18.6 |
| All | 15.6 | 16.9 |