Does the risk of heart disease due to increased blood cholesterol change with age?
Yes. In fact, it may decrease somewhat with age. For example, before the age of 55 a blood cholesterol level greater than 6.9 mmol/L (265 mg/dL) carries a five-fold increase in the risk of heart attack. However, this increased risk is only 1.7-fold in those over the age of 55. In one study, lowering of blood cholesterol in very old patients with atherosclerosis (average age 75 years) had no effect on the progress of their coronary heart disease. However, it is the lifelong burden of blood cholesterol that matters. Cholesterol levels, on average, decrease in old people.
