To measure your cholesterol, you will need to get a cholesterol test, also called a lipid panel or lipid profile. The test measures the types of fat and cholesterol in your blood. A cholesterol test is a blood test, usually completed in the morning, since fasting is required for the most accurate results.

A small amount of blood is collected into a vial or syringe for testing. Adults at average risk of developing coronary artery disease should have their cholesterol checked every five years, beginning at For most children, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends one cholesterol screening test between ages 9 and 11 and another between ages 17 and Your health care provider may recommend more frequent testing if initial results were abnormal, if you have a family history of early-onset heart disease, or if you have a personal history of obesity or diabetes.

Skip to main content. Recent Posts. Speaking of Health. Topics in this Post. By Mayo Clinic staff You can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke and peripheral artery disease by keeping your cholesterol at normal levels.

What is cholesterol? Why cholesterol matters Cholesterol can join with other substances to form a thick, hard deposit on the inside of your arteries, making arteries less flexible. However, not all cholesterol is bad. There are two types of cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or HDL HDL cholesterol is often referred to as "good" cholesterol.

HDL picks up excess cholesterol in your blood and takes it back to your liver, where it is broken down and removed from your body. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or LDL LDL is the type of cholesterol that can eventually build up within the walls of your arteries, leading to a heart attack or stroke.

This is why LDL is often referred to as "bad" cholesterol. What cholesterol level is considered normal? Normal or healthy levels of cholesterol are different, depending on your age and sex: People 19 and younger LDL cholesterol is less than milligrams and HDL is more than 45 milligrams.

Men 20 and older LDL cholesterol is less than milligrams and HDL is more than 40 milligrams. Women 20 and older LDL cholesterol is less than milligrams and HDL is more than 50 milligrams. What you can do The good news is high cholesterol can be lowered, reducing risk of heart disease and stroke.

Often changing your lifestyle or behavior can bring your numbers into line, including these steps: Eat a heart-healthy diet. Before the test, you'll need to fast not eat or drink anything but water for 9 to 12 hours. The test gives information about your:. Here are the healthy levels of cholesterol, based on your age and gender:.

Triglycerides are not a type of cholesterol, but they are part of a lipoprotein panel the test that measures cholesterol levels. When and how often you should get a cholesterol test depends on your age, risk factors, and family history.

The general recommendations are:. A variety of things can affect cholesterol levels. These are some things you can do to lower your cholesterol levels:. There are two main ways to lower your cholesterol :.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know. What is cholesterol? How do you measure cholesterol levels? The test gives information about your: Total cholesterol - a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood. It includes both low-density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol.

LDL bad cholesterol - the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries HDL good cholesterol - HDL helps remove cholesterol from your arteries Non-HDL - this number is your total cholesterol minus your HDL. Your non-HDL includes LDL and other types of cholesterol such as VLDL very-low-density lipoprotein.

Triglycerides - another form of fat in your blood that can raise your risk for heart disease, especially in women What do my cholesterol numbers mean? How often should I get a cholesterol test? The general recommendations are: For people who are age 19 or younger : The first test should be between ages 9 to 11 Children should have the test again every 5 years Some children may have this test starting at age 2 if there is a family history of high blood cholesterol, heart attack, or stroke For people who are age 20 or older : Younger adults should have the test every 5 years Men ages 45 to 65 and women ages 55 to 65 should have it every 1 to 2 years What affects my cholesterol levels?

These are some things you can do to lower your cholesterol levels: Diet. Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level rise. Saturated fat is the main problem, but cholesterol in foods also matters.

Reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level. Foods that have high levels of saturated fats include some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, and deep-fried and processed foods.

Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL bad cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. It also raises your HDL good cholesterol level.

Physical Activity. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL bad cholesterol and raise HDL good cholesterol levels.

It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days. Cigarette smoking lowers your HDL good cholesterol. HDL helps to remove bad cholesterol from your arteries. So a lower HDL can contribute to a higher level of bad cholesterol.

Things outside of your control that can also affect cholesterol levels include: Age and Sex. As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise.

Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, women's LDL bad cholesterol levels tend to rise.

To lower these risks, doctors often recommend that people with hyperlipidemia try to lower their cholesterol levels through a combination of dietary changes, exercise, and medication.

Most cholesterol-lowering therapies are aimed at reducing low-density lipoprotein LDL or "bad" cholesterol. High levels of LDL can cause atherosclerosis buildup of fatty deposits in the blood vessels , which is the major cause of cardiovascular events heart attacks, strokes, and lower extremity or peripheral artery disease.

This article will discuss the relationship between hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease, the different types of lipids, and expert recommendations for lipid screening. Treatment options for high cholesterol are discussed separately.

See "Patient education: High cholesterol and lipid treatment options Beyond the Basics ". Hyperlipidemia can significantly increase a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including disease of blood vessels supplying the heart coronary artery disease , brain cerebrovascular disease , and limbs peripheral artery disease.

These conditions happen when the blood vessels get clogged with fatty deposits, restricting blood flow. When this happens, it can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other serious problems such as narrowing of the arteries that deliver blood to most organs.

Other risk factors for cardiovascular disease — In addition to hyperlipidemia, there are a number of other factors that increase a person's risk of cardiovascular disease:. Regardless of whether any of these factors are present, a person's risk for developing cardiovascular disease increases with age.

Men have a higher risk than women at any age. Calculating your risk of cardiovascular disease — There are various online calculators that allow you to input information about yourself in order to estimate your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Different calculators can give different scores depending on the variables they use in calculating a person's risk. Examples include:. Your health care provider can help you understand how to use the available calculators to better understand your risk and interpret the results.

The term "lipids" includes cholesterol and triglycerides, although there are other types of lipids, too. Standard lipid blood tests include a measurement of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein LDL and high-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Total cholesterol — A high total cholesterol level can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. However, decisions about when to treat high cholesterol are usually based upon the level of LDL or HDL cholesterol rather than the level of total cholesterol see 'LDL cholesterol' below and 'HDL cholesterol' below.

In general:. The total cholesterol level can be measured any time of day. It is not necessary to fast ie, avoid eating before testing. LDL cholesterol — This is sometimes called "bad" cholesterol, as high LDL levels raise your risk of cardiovascular disease. Some health care providers make decisions about how to treat hyperlipidemia based on the LDL cholesterol level.

Your goal LDL cholesterol depends on your overall risk for a cardiovascular event heart attack or stroke. Several factors affect your personal risk, including whether you have a history of cardiovascular disease and your risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the future based on your age, sex, and other major risk factors see 'Calculating your risk of cardiovascular disease' above.

People at higher risk are often given a lower LDL cholesterol goal. If your health care provider plans to measure your LDL cholesterol level, he or she may ask you to fast avoid eating for nine hours or longer in order to obtain an accurate result.

However, in many cases, your LDL cholesterol can be measured even after you have eaten recently. HDL cholesterol — Not all cholesterol is bad.

High levels of HDL "good" cholesterol is often an indicator of a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. There is no treatment that lowers your risk for a cardiovascular event by raising HDL cholesterol. As with total cholesterol, the HDL cholesterol can be measured with a blood test at any time, regardless of whether you have been fasting.

Non-HDL cholesterol — "Non-HDL" cholesterol includes LDL cholesterol as well as other types of plaque-forming lipids that do not fall into these categories. Non-HDL cholesterol accounts for the cholesterol carried by very low density lipoproteins VLDL , intermediate density lipoproteins IDL , and lipoprotein a.

It can be calculated by subtracting HDL cholesterol from total cholesterol. A healthy HDL-cholesterol level may protect against heart attack and stroke. Your doctor will evaluate your HDL and other cholesterol levels and other factors to assess your risk for heart attack or stroke. People with high blood triglycerides usually also have lower levels of HDL.

Genetic factors, Type 2 diabetes, smoking, being overweight and being sedentary can all lower HDL cholesterol. Women tend to have higher levels of HDL cholesterol than men do, but this can change after menopause.

Since LDL is the bad kind of cholesterol, a low LDL level is considered good for your heart health. LDL levels are one factor among many to consider when evaluating cardiovascular risk.

Talk to your doctor about your LDL cholesterol level as well as other factors that impact your cardiovascular health. A diet high in saturated and trans fat is unhealthy because it tends to raise LDL cholesterol levels.

What Does My LDL Number Mean? PDF Spanish PDF. Why Should I Know My LDL Cholesterol? Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in your body.

They come from food, and your body also makes them. Normal triglyceride levels vary by age and sex. People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including a high LDL bad cholesterol level and a low HDL good cholesterol level.

Many people with metabolic syndrome or diabetes also have high triglyceride levels. Learn about getting your cholesterol checked and why it is important. Certain health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, can raise your risk for high cholesterol.

Lifestyle factors, such eating a diet high in saturated and trans fats and not getting enough activity, can also raise your risk for high cholesterol. Some people who have a family history of high cholesterol can also be at risk for high cholesterol.

But you can take steps to lower your risk for high cholesterol by changing things you can control. As cholesterol plaque builds up in the arteries, the arteries begin to narrow, which lessens or blocks the flow of blood.

As plaque builds up over time, the insides of your arteries narrow. This narrowing blocks blood flow to and from your heart and other organs.

When blood flow to the heart is blocked, it can cause chest pain also called angina or a heart attack also called myocardial infarction. High cholesterol also increases your risk for heart disease and stroke , two leading causes of death in the United States. The only way to know whether you have high cholesterol is to get your cholesterol checked by your health care team.

Talk with your health care team about how often you should have your cholesterol screened. Strong evidence shows that eating patterns that include less dietary cholesterol are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Learn how to prevent, treat, and manage high cholesterol. Your overall risk for high cholesterol depends on many factors. Learn what increases your risk for high cholesterol. More information. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search.