Questions
Cholesterol questions, answered
Each one with its short answer first. The number questions open the panel check.
Your numbers
- Is 220 cholesterol bad?On its own it can't tell you. A 220 can be mostly HDL or mostly LDL, and the 2026 guideline sets no goal for the total. Put your other numbers in.
Is an LDL of 130 bad?It's over every 2026 goal: under 100, 70 or 55 by your risk, and low risk has no number goal. The biggest single food changes take off about 7 to 13 points.
What should my LDL be?Under 100 at borderline or intermediate risk, under 70 at high risk, under 55 after a heart attack or stroke (2026 US guideline). The lab's range ignores your risk.
What is non-HDL cholesterol?Total minus HDL: the cholesterol in every particle that can clog an artery. Its goals sit 30 points above LDL's, and it still works when triglycerides are high.
Is an LDL of 190 dangerous?It's the line where the 2026 guideline looks for causes, checks your family for FH and recommends a statin. Book a doctor visit before you plan a diet.- What's a normal cholesterol level for my age?Your goal doesn't change with age. LDL under 100, 70 or 55 by your risk. What changes is how common high numbers are, and after 60 women overtake men.
Testing
Do you need to fast for a cholesterol test?Usually not. A meal moves LDL about 8 points and triglycerides about 26, and the 2026 guideline accepts either. Fast if your triglycerides were 400 or more.
Why does my report say my LDL is calculated?Most labs work LDL out from your other three numbers. The 1972 formula slips when triglycerides are high or LDL is low, so the guideline now prefers two newer ones.
How often should you check your cholesterol?At least every 5 years from age 19, once as a child at 9 to 11, and 4 to 12 weeks after starting or changing a medicine. More often with risk factors or a change.
Why did my cholesterol go up when I didn't change anything?Two LDL results can differ by about 19% by chance, and now and then 29%. Real causes include menopause, fast weight loss, keto, thyroid and some medicines.
Are home cholesterol tests accurate?They can be close to a lab for total and HDL if you follow the steps exactly. The LDL is calculated, and the evidence on meters is thin. Confirm a surprise at a lab.
Do I need a calcium scan?Maybe, if you're 40 or older (men) or 45 (women), your risk is borderline or intermediate, and you're unsure about a statin. A zero can let you wait. About $50 to $250.
Food
Do eggs raise cholesterol?Not much for most people. Saturated fat moves LDL more than the cholesterol in food, the 2026 guideline says. Watch the bacon and butter that come with the eggs.
Does saturated fat matter for cholesterol?Yes, for LDL. Moving 1% of calories from saturated fat to vegetable oils takes about 2 points off. What you swap it for decides whether your heart gains.
High LDL on keto: should I worry?Take it seriously, without panic. LDL often rises on keto, mostly from saturated fat. Check ApoB, ask about a calcium scan. The "it's harmless" study was retracted.
What foods lower cholesterol?Two changes do the most: vegetable oils instead of butter, and soluble fiber (10 g of psyllium a day took off about 13 points). Oats, beans, soy and nuts help too.
Does oatmeal lower cholesterol?A little. About 3.5 g of oat beta-glucan a day lowered LDL about 7 points across 58 trials. Check the label for grams of beta-glucan, not bowls.
How much psyllium should I take to lower cholesterol?About 10 g of husk a day, split over meals with water, lowered LDL about 13 points in 28 trials. Build up over a week, and keep it apart from some medicines.
Does coffee raise cholesterol?Unfiltered coffee can. In 14 trials, more coffee meant higher LDL, mostly with boiled coffee, while paper-filtered coffee did very little. If your LDL is high, use paper.- What foods should I avoid with high cholesterol?The saturated fats: butter, fatty red meat, full-fat dairy, coconut and palm oil (2026 guideline). Replace them with olive or vegetable oils, nuts and fish, not sugar.
Triglycerides and HDL
Does alcohol raise triglycerides?Yes. About 2 drinks a day raised triglycerides about 6 points on average in 42 studies, more in some people. At 500 or more, the guideline says no alcohol at all.
Does sugar raise triglycerides?Yes. In 37 trials, higher-sugar diets raised triglycerides about 10 points and LDL about 5, even when weight didn't change. Sweet drinks are the easiest place to start.
What triglyceride level is dangerous?150 fasting or 175 after eating is high. At 500 the risk of pancreatitis starts to rise and at 1000 it's high, so see a doctor soon. Severe belly pain is the ER.
How do I raise my HDL?Move. Aerobic exercise raised HDL about 2.5 points across 25 trials, more with longer sessions. Don't chase the number with pills. LDL and non-HDL are the goals.
Lowering it
How long does it take to lower cholesterol?Triglycerides can drop in weeks, and LDL fell 28.6% within a month on the portfolio diet. Retest LDL 6 to 12 weeks in, at the same lab, and allow for noise.
Can you lower cholesterol without medication?Yes, by a measurable amount: single food changes took off about 7 to 13 points, the full portfolio diet 28.6% in a month. If your gap is bigger, talk about medicine.
Does exercise lower cholesterol?A little. In 148 trials, exercise cut LDL about 7 points and triglycerides about 8, and raised HDL about 2. Aim for 150 minutes a week plus strength work twice.
Does losing weight lower cholesterol?Triglycerides most, about 1.8 points per pound. LDL falls a little, about 8 points in 6 to 12 month trials, and can rise for a while during fast loss.
Genes, women and ApoB
Why is my cholesterol high if I eat healthy?Your liver makes all the cholesterol you need, and genes set how fast it's cleared. FH affects 1 in 250 to 300 people. Thyroid, menopause, keto and some drugs add to it.
Why does cholesterol go up after menopause?LDL and ApoB jump in the year either side of your last period (SWAN). Over 60, 16% of women have a high total, against 6% of men. The same changes still work.
What is Lp(a), and should I get tested?A particle set mostly by your genes that food barely moves. The 2026 guideline says test it once. About 1 in 5 people are at 125 nmol/L or more, about 40% more risk.
ApoB or LDL: which should I trust?LDL is the cholesterol inside the particles, ApoB counts the particles. They usually agree. With high triglycerides or diabetes, ApoB is the better guide.
Medicine and when to worry
With Gyroscope One, take a photo of your lab report and watch every cholesterol number over the years, next to your food, weight and training. Open Gyroscope
