Blood cholesterol levels - table by age. Cholesterol in the blood - norms for women, men and children

Many people know that a cholesterol test is performed to diagnose lipid metabolism disorders and to assess the risk of developing a disease such as atherosclerosis. However, most do not have answers to these questions:

• Should this organic compound be present in the human body?
• In any quantity?
• Are the rates the same for men and women?
• Do cholesterol levels in women depend on hormone levels?
• What happens if the value is higher than normal or, conversely, lower?

And this is not the entire list of what a woman might think about when she hears about a cholesterol test. If questions arise, they should be asked to the appropriate specialist. But if this is not possible at the moment, then you can study at least basic information.

What is cholesterol

This is a type of lipid present in the structure of human and animal cells. 20% of it comes from food, and the bulk is synthesized by the body itself. At normal concentrations, this substance is not harmful, but even necessary, because it:

• strengthens cell membranes;
• promotes digestion;
• participates in the formation of sex hormones;
• stimulates the production of vitamin D;
• protects nerve fibers;
• reduces cell permeability.

Cholesterol is present in the body at any age. It is required for survival and cannot be replaced by anything. However, we often hear this substance mentioned in a negative context. This is a misconception, since only one type of it causes harm. It is important to distinguish them.

Good and bad cholesterol

In everyday life, good is called high-density lipoprotein, and bad is low-density lipoprotein. Lipoprotein is cholesterol in a protein shell made of apolipoprotein.

High density means that there is little cholesterol in the compound itself: the bulk is protein. In this ratio, lipid transport is facilitated. It enters the liver and is excreted with bile, without settling anywhere. That's why he is considered good.

Low-density lipoprotein, on the other hand, is predominantly composed of cholesterol. Its removal from the body is difficult. This is the type that is considered bad. It lingers in vascular cells and causes atherosclerosis. In addition, it tends to accumulate with age. An adult has much more of it than a child.

Literature

1. Anitschkow N. and Chalatow S. (1983). Classics in arteriosclerosis research: On experimental cholesterin steatosis and its significance in the origin of some pathological processes by N. Anitschkow and S. Chalatow, translated by Mary Z. Pelias, 1913. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
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   3 , 178-182;
2. Klimov A.N. Causes and conditions for the development of atherosclerosis. Preventive cardiology. M.: “Medicine”, 1977. - 260–321 pp.;
3. Cox RA and Garcia-Palmieri MR Cholesterol, triglycerides, and associated lipoproteins. Clinical methods: the history, physical, and laboratory examinations (3rd Edition). Boston: Butterworths, 1990. - 153–160 p.;
4. Grundy S. M. (1978). Cholesterol metabolism in man. West. J. Med. 128, 13–25;
5. Wikipedia: “Lipoproteins”;
6. Wójcicka G., Jamroz-Wisniewska A., Horoszewicz K., Beltowski J. (2007). Liver X receptors (LXRs). Part I: Structure, function, regulation of activity, and role in lipid metabolism. Postepy Hig. Med. Dosw. 61, 736–759;
7. Calkin A. and Tontonoz P. (2010). Liver X Receptor signaling pathways and atherosclerosis. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 30, 1513–1518;
8. S. Acton, A. Rigotti, K. T. Landschulz, S. Xu, H. H. Hobbs, M. Krieger. (1996). Identification of Scavenger Receptor SR-BI as a High Density Lipoprotein Receptor. Science
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   271 , 518-520;
9. Vrins C. L. J. (2010). From blood to gut: Direct secretion of cholesterol via transintestinal cholesterol efflux. World J. Gastroenterol. 16, 5953–5957;
10. Van der Velde A. E. (2010). Reverse cholesterol transport: From classical view to new insights. World J. Gastroenterol. 16, 5908–5915;
11. Wilfried Le Goff, Maryse Guerin, M.John Chapman. (2004). Pharmacological modulation of cholesteryl ester transfer protein, a new therapeutic target in atherogenic dyslipidemia. Pharmacology & Therapeutics
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    101 , 17-38;
12. Lipid foundation of life;
13. Nanoparticles for “bad” cholesterol!

Blood cholesterol levels in men and women by age

Over the years, indicators that can be considered normal change. The meanings are not the same for men and women. Here is a table that will help you avoid getting confused and keep your health under control.

A common myth is that you need to start tracking your cholesterol levels closer to retirement age. This is a big misconception. Doctors recommend donating blood for the first time at the age of 25. The unhealthy lifestyle of modern youth contributes to a more active accumulation of low-density lipoproteins, which is why heart disease increases in age.

In people under 30 years of age

Normal cholesterol in men under 30 years of age is in the range of 0.5-2.83 mmol/l of blood. The body of a young man is still strong enough to withstand possible pathological processes.

Typically, atherosclerosis does not develop during this period of time. Because the body has sufficient adaptive capabilities. It makes sense to get checked every 6-12 months. Take a general and biochemical blood test.

During these years, in extreme cases, pathological processes such as hypertension are possible. Increased blood pressure. But not yet stable.

Therefore, the violation is quite dangerous. It lays the foundation for future disruption of the internal organs and all systems.

Why is lipid metabolism disrupted in the body?

Lipid metabolism is a complex metabolic process. An important part is cholesterol metabolism. Its disorders are one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases.

The disorder can occur for various reasons:

• heredity (in this case, the first symptoms appear in childhood);
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• endocrine pathologies;
• lack or excess of enzymes;
• kidney dysfunction;
• taking hormonal medications;
• bad habits;
• increased body mass index;
• physical inactivity.

For an adult, lipid metabolism disorders do not go unnoticed. Men experience hair loss prematurely, and women experience disruptions to their menstrual cycle. Excess cholesterol affects the condition of the skin and general well-being.

Symptoms of high cholesterol in the body

An excess of this substance has external signs. White circles form around the iris of the eye. The skin turns yellow and lipid deposits (xanthomas) appear on it. Usually these are small tubercles, but there are xanthomas in the form of papules.

The remaining symptoms do not specifically indicate increased cholesterol. The patient experiences:

• pain in the legs when walking;
• feeling of chest compression;
• heartache;
• digestive disorders.

All these troubles suggest that it’s time to see a doctor. It is difficult to understand from the symptoms that it is time to take an LDL test. As a result, lipid metabolism disorders go unnoticed for a long time, sometimes until the vessel becomes blocked. Because of this, cholesterol is called the silent killer.

Risk group for atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis

- an insidious disease that develops gradually. Cholesterol level is an indirect indicator of the risk of developing atherosclerosis, but some categories of people need to be tested for cholesterol at certain intervals. The following recommendations are given:

• men over 40 years old;
• women over 45 years old;
• people with diagnosed diabetes;
• overweight people;
• people with diseases of the thyroid gland, kidneys and high blood pressure;
• smokers;
• people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

It is important to understand that at the first stage of development, atherosclerosis has no visible specific manifestations. A person may not even be aware of the developing disease and the problem with cholesterol. Therefore, doctors recommend regularly donating blood for biochemical analysis.

What to do to normalize cholesterol

Today it is not uncommon for the results of a blood test for total cholesterol to deviate from normal. At the same time, there may be a lack of good things in the body, while the level of bad things is increased. Accordingly, the value of low-density lipoproteins should be reduced, and high-density lipoproteins should be increased.

Let's start with the last one. Intense physical activity is enough for this. Clearing the body of LDL is more difficult. It requires:

If high cholesterol is caused by an endocrine or other disease, it will be difficult to lower it without proper treatment. Therefore, before taking measures, it is worthwhile to undergo a comprehensive examination, in particular, donate blood for hormones.

Age after 50 years

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Normal cholesterol in men over 50 years of age is in the range of 4.9-7.3 mmol/l of blood. But this does not happen often, since andropause, menopause, begins.

Hormone concentrations drop. Hence the disturbances in well-being. The patient runs the risk of encountering dangerous pathological processes.

• Heart attack. A condition in which the myocardium does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients. The result is a disruption of normal cardiac activity.

Complications are possible, the patient may die from cardiac arrest or other problems.

Treatment is carried out strictly in a hospital setting. In the intensive care ward. Recovery and rehabilitation can take up to several years.

• Stroke. Another pathological process of an urgent nature. This time there is a disturbance in cerebral blood flow. The brain suffers. The results are approximately the same: acute dysfunction of the whole organism, disorders of higher nervous activity.

The norm of cholesterol in men after 60 is 4.9-7.3 mmol/liter of blood, but it is almost guaranteed to be violated, since senile changes occur in the body.

Diet and lifestyle of people with high cholesterol

An adult understands that a normal cholesterol level is the key to vascular health. Atherosclerosis impedes blood flow, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood through the narrowed arteries. Sooner or later the plaques will block the vessel, and the person will have a heart attack.

To avoid this outcome, it is important to achieve normal LDL levels. To do this, it is important to adjust your lifestyle, and first of all, your eating habits:

• reduce consumption of trans fats;
• increase your intake of monounsaturated fats;
• increase consumption of polyunsaturated fats;
• give up instant coffee and drink only natural coffee in limited quantities.

We must not forget that the level of cholesterol in the blood changes over the years. Therefore, you need to review your diet periodically (at least once every five years). And it is better to do this under the supervision of a doctor.

Additional examinations if the indicators are too high

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Auxiliary techniques are needed only if pathological processes are suspected. What diagnostic measures are required?

• Consultations with an endocrinologist, nephrologist and other specialists.
• Oral interview and history taking. To get a complete picture of what is happening.
• Ultrasound of the heart, kidneys, and digestive tract.
• X-ray of blood vessels. It's called angiography.
• Liver examination. Scintigraphy.

The list is basic, other studies are prescribed according to the situation.

Cholesterol is a vital substance. But deviations in its concentration from the norm do not bode well for the patient.

Therefore, it is necessary to be examined; as part of prevention, it is enough to donate blood biochemistry once every six months. Next, you should act according to the situation.

What you can’t eat and what you can

The difficulty in following the diet is that banned trans fats are found in foods that many are accustomed to. The patient will have to completely give up sweets and starchy foods and reduce the consumption of fatty foods to a minimum. Nutritionists are trying to find healthy alternatives to unhealthy foods.

Eggs are a controversial product. Yolks help increase cholesterol, while proteins, on the contrary, are useful for its breakdown. The recommended solution is to divide the egg into parts and eat only the whites.

How to reduce the indicator to normal values?

Therapy for atherosclerosis always includes the following areas:

• correction of nutrition and lifestyle;
• use of cholesterol-lowering medications (in the moderate and severe stages);
• playing sports.

Let's look at each stage of treatment in more detail.

Nutrition and diet for men

Plant (healthy) and animal (bad) fats in a hypocholesterol diet.

Diet for atherosclerosis is the main stage of treatment; without it, drugs will not give the desired effect. It is aimed at removing animal fats, that is, sources of cholesterol, from the diet. These fats are found in the following foods:

• sausages;
• boiled pork, lard;
• fat meat;
• egg yolk;
• dairy products;
• fried foods.

Their use should be completely limited; instead of these products, it is better to eat plant foods containing lipids. They are not only harmless, but also useful.

They contain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. They will dissolve cholesterol in atherosclerotic plaques and dissolve them, while completely covering the body’s lack of fat.

Sources of vegetable fats:

• oils: nut, olive, sesame, flaxseed, hemp;
• avocado;
• nuts (mostly walnuts);
• cereals, cereals (in small quantities).

Omega-3 can also be found in fish. She is its main source. Prefer fatty varieties: herring, mackerel, capelin, trout, salmon. Fish for atherosclerosis should be consumed at least 3-4 times a week.

Drugs that lower total cholesterol

This group of medications is called stanina. This is one of the types of lipid-lowering drugs used to eliminate lipid metabolism disorders.

Statins are used when the level of low-density lipoprotein is so high that it is impossible to reduce it with lifestyle changes. You cannot take them without permission, since the wrong dosage will affect the functioning of the liver. It is better for an adult to make an appointment with a cardiologist.

Vitamins also help indirectly with high cholesterol. The main role here is given to representatives of group B. B3 is involved in fat metabolism, B6 promotes the absorption of fatty acids, B8 accelerates lipid metabolism. Vitamins A and E prevent the formation of cholesterol plaques.

THERE ARE CONTRAINDICATIONS, BEFORE USE YOU MUST CONSULT WITH A SPECIALIST