Health Information

Cholesterol in Children and Teens

Topic Overview

A child may have a higher chance of having Reference high cholesterol Opens New Window if he or she:

Is Reference overweight Opens New Window.
Does not exercise much.
Does not eat healthy foods.
Has a family history of high cholesterol.

Cholesterol tests for children and teens

Your child's doctor may suggest a cholesterol test based on your child's age, family history, or a physical exam. A cholesterol test can help a doctor find out early if your child has a cholesterol level that could affect his or her health.

You can ask your child's doctor if your child should have a cholesterol test. There are different recommendations that doctors may follow.^{Reference 1,} ^{Reference 2}

Cholesterol levels for children and teens

For children and teens:^{Reference 2}

	Total cholesterol	LDL (bad) cholesterol
Best	Less than 170 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)	Less than 110 mg/dL
Borderline high	170–199	110–129
High	200 or above	130 or above

The goal numbers for HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides can depend on your child's age and gender. But in general:

HDL (good) cholesterol should be higher than 40 mg/dL.
Triglyceride levels should be below 130 mg/dL.

Treatment for high cholesterol

Treatment for high cholesterol typically includes changes in diet and increased physical activity. Work with your doctor or a dietitian to make diet changes so that your child can get proper nutrition while trying to lower cholesterol.

Less commonly, medicines, such as a Reference statin Opens New Window, may be used to help lower cholesterol levels.

If you have concerns about your child's cholesterol, talk with your doctor.

By:	Reference Healthwise Staff	Last Revised: Reference June 29, 2012
Medical Review:	Reference Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Reference Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD - Cardiology Reference Rakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology