Hi, calm down. These things are always stressful. The new guidelines do not focus on total cholesterol which by the way should be under 200. The focus is on LDL-C which should be below 100mg/dl normally and the HDL-C should be above 50 mg/dl. The triglycerides are also important and we would like to see them under 150 mg/dl. Limiting dietary cholesterol has been found to have little impact on blood cholesterol. The trend now is to use statin drugs preferentially although diet and lifestyle change are still mainstays of treatment plans for dyslipidemia. Good Luck!

Good Morning,
I would be more than happy to answer your question. Blood cholesterol guidelines for total cholesterol are still recommending less than 200 mg/dl with 180 mg/dl often cited as optimal total cholesterol level.

According to the Centers for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases and adopted by the American Diabetes Guidelines in 2014:

The levels are not based on adult age division. For all adults we would like to see LDLs lower than 100 mg/dl or 70 mg/dl if diabetes present

Triglycerides should be under 150 and HDLs should be greater than
HDLs should be higher than 50 mg/dl and 250 minutes of exercise per week at target heart rate of 70% maximum heart rate are also advised to protect the heart. For you, 70% would be 220 -23=197x.70=138 beats per minute.

Lifestyle Treatment Recommended for High Blood fats:
Reduce saturated fat, eliminate trans fat, lower cholesterol intake (although this is being debated regarding dietary cholesterol)
Increase omega-3 fatty acids, especially if high triglycerides
Increase plant sterols and soluble fiber
Weight loss, if indicated.

I hope I have provided a complete and thorough answer, particularly with regards to your question. Be Well. Kathryn Shattler, MS,RDN