REDUCING YOUR RISK OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: DOES AGE MATTER? OLDER AGE GROUPS & WHEN SHOULD YOU HAVE YOUR CHOLESTEROL CHECKED?
Older Age Groups. The evidence that lowering cholesterol helps to diminish or at least slow down, the development coronary artery disease in some people provides a strong rationale for advocating cholesterol control beyond middle age. People in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s who have coronary artery disease or risk factors already present have the highest risk of problems if the disease progresses. Thus, many doctors believe that it is never too late to institute cholesterol-lowering measures, although at present this opinion remains unproven.WHEN SHOULD YOU HAVE YOUR CHOLESTEROL CHECKED? The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that all adults older than 20 years start with a blood test that measures the total cholesterol level. If your total cholesterol is more than 200 mg/dl, then have your LDL, HDL, and triglyceride values checked. Subsequent cholesterol checks should be done at regular medical checkups. If your cholesterol is high and your doctor recommends dietary changes or other treatments, you will probably have your cholesterol re-checked in about 3 months to determine the effect of treatment. At that point, your doctor can decide whether added treatment is advisable.*248\252\8*
