What Are Normal Cholesterol Levels in Children?

According to pediatric cholesterol guidelines published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the following values are used to interpret lipid or cholesterol levels in children and adolescents.

Cholesterol measure	Acceptable	Borderline	High or low
Total cholesterol	Below 170 mg/dL	170–199 mg/dL	High: 200 mg/dL or above
LDL cholesterol	Below 110 mg/dL	110–129 mg/dL	High: 130 mg/dL or above
HDL cholesterol	Above 45 mg/dL	40–45 mg/dL	Low: Below 40 mg/dL
Triglycerides, ages 0–9	Below 75 mg/dL	75–99 mg/dL	High: 100 mg/dL or above
Triglycerides, ages 10–19	Below 90 mg/dL	90–129 mg/dL	High: 130 mg/dL or above

Note: These are general pediatric reference thresholds, not a diagnosis. A healthcare professional interprets results alongside the child’s age, health history, risk factors and other test findings.

Image credit: Image by Dilawar Ali from Pixabay (Free to use under Pixabay content license, Published on April 12, 2020)