Concern about Cholesterol
My 50 year-old sister who attained menopause at 45, was recently asked to undergo a Lipid profile. All the figures were normal — Blood sugar, serum cholesterol, Triglycerides, VLDL. Her HDL cholesterol level was a healthy 62. Only the LDL cholesterol was borderline high at 146 mg/dl. For a fit, healthy person of normal weight, is borderline high LDL cholesterol, in isolation, a cause for concern?
From your letter I presume that she is non hypertensive and non diabetic. In the absence of the above, and any other risk factors (including family history), her LDL cholesterol level should not be a major concern. However to maintain artery health, it is always a good idea to keep the LDL cholesterol level below 130 mg% with dietary modifications and exercise.