|
|
 |
About It
Facts About Blood Cholesterol
Table of Contents |
Why Blood Cholesterol Matters |
The Blood Cholesterol--Heart Disease Connection |
Other Risk Factors For Heart Disease |
Who Can Benefit From Lowering Blood Cholesterol? |
Cholesterol--In Your Blood, In Your Diet |
LDL- and HDL-Cholesterol: The Bad and The Good |
Things That Affect Blood Cholesterol |
Have Your Blood Cholesterol Checked |
Guidelines For Heart-Healthy Living |
Making The Guidelines Work: Eat The Heart-Healthy Way |
Eat Out The Heart-Healthy Way |
Make Physical Activity Part Of Your Routine |
Lose Weight Sensibly |
 Cholesterol Levels In Children? |
How High Is a Child's "High" Blood Cholesterol? |
In Case You Were Wondering... |
Should You Know Your Cholesterol Ratio? |
What are Triglycerides? |
Will Lowering My Blood Cholesterol Help Me Live Longer? |
Is It Safe To Eat In A Heart-Healthy Way? |
How Much Will Your Cholesterol Levels Change? |
How To Find Out More
Most children do not need to have their blood cholesterol checked. But, all
children should be encouraged to eat in a heart-healthy way, along with the
rest of the family. Children who should be tested at age 2 or older include
those who have any of these conditions:
- at least one parent who has been found to have high blood cholesterol
(240 mg/dL or greater), or
- a family history of early heart disease (before age 55 in a parent or
grandparent).
Also, if the parent's medical history is not known, the doctor may want to
check the child's blood cholesterol level, especially in children with other
risk factors like obesity.
If your child does need to have a cholesterol test, it can be part of a regular
doctor's visit. Your doctor will likely measure your child's total cholesterol
level first. However, if your family has a history of early heart disease, the
doctor may measure the LDL-cholesterol level right from the start. Otherwise,
your child's LDL-cholesterol level should be measured if his or her total
cholesterol level was checked and found to be 170 mg/dL or greater. The blood
cholesterol categories for children from families with high blood cholesterol
or early heart disease are shown in the box below.
Total and LDL-Cholesterol Levels in Children and
Teenagers From Families With High Blood Cholesterol or Early Heart Disease
|
Total Cholesterol |
LDL-Cholesterol |
Acceptable
Borderline
High
|
Less than 170 mg/dL
170 to 199 mg/dL
200 mg/dL or greater
|
Less than 110 mg/dL
110-129 mg/dL
130 mg/dL or greater
|
Note: These blood cholesterol levels apply to children 2 to 19 years old.
|
Top of page
|
 |
|
|
