Many aspects of your body processes decrease over time: fewer hormones can make you lose muscle mass and less pigment can turn your hair gray. However, there is one factor that tends to increase over time: your cholesterol. This waxy substance is needed to maintain cell membrane function, but in excess can have harmful effects. Knowing how cholesterol affects your body and how age is a risk factor can help you stay healthy.
Appropriate Levels
Your cholesterol levels can be measured via a simple blood test. If your total cholesterol levels are higher than 240mg/dL, they are considered high. If your cholesterol levels are between 200 and 239mg/dL, this is considered borderline-high. If your levels are less than 200mg/dL, this indicates your levels are healthy. In determining your best course of treatment, your physician will consider your overall health, age and cholesterol levels. For example, if you have diabetes or high blood pressure, your physician may be more concerned about borderline-high levels.
Gender Differences
As they age, women's and men's cholesterol levels tend to take on different trends. For example, women tend to have lower cholesterol levels than men until the onset of menopause--about age 55. At this time, women's cholesterol levels tend to rise more steadily than men's.
Buildup Over Time
One of the reasons your cholesterol levels increase over time is that cholesterol can build up in your arteries. When you have excess cholesterol in your blood, it has a tendency to stick to the walls of your blood vessels, developing into plaque. As you age, this plaque can continue to build in your blood vessel walls, increasing your cholesterol levels over time. Factors like your diet, smoking and lack of exercise can lead to a cholesterol buildup that can cause atherosclerosis. This condition can impede your blood flow, raising your blood pressure. Also, pieces of the plaque can break off, leading to a stroke or heart attack.
Screening
Your physician may wish to establish a pattern of your cholesterol levels. Beginning at age 20, you should have your cholesterol checked every five years. After age 45, men should have their cholesterol levels checked every two years. After age 55, women should have their cholesterol checked every two years as well. However, if you have a family history of high cholesterol, your physician may recommend different time intervals.
References
- NetDoctor; Is Cholesterol Level Likely to Increase With Age?; January 2010
- National Cholesterol Education Program; High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know; June 2005
- National Stroke Association; Controllable Risk Factors - Cholesterol; 2011
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library; Atherosclerosis; January 2008
- McKinley Health Center; Cholesterol Basics; 2007
- FamilyDoctor.org; Coronary Artery Disease: Reducing Your Risk; May 2010
