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A total cholesterol reading of 200 to 239, or LDL (“bad”) cholesterol of 130 to 159. Your level is officially “high” when total cholesterol reaches 240 or LDL hits 160 (less if you have other risk factors).
Why it’s a problem: Too much LDL in the blood causes plaque to form in the walls of blood vessels, narrowing them, which can lead to a heart attack. The LDL fraction above normal gets deposited on the “intima”, the inner lining of all the arteries. Persistently elevated values of cholesterol (if your levels have been high for over two years) cause changes in the lining. The higher you’re reading, the higher the risk. If you are borderline, over 40, with a family history of heart disease of diabetes, then you would need aggressive treatment, since a plaque or deposit could block arteries to the brain, heart, kidney and eyes, leading to a stroke or heart attack.

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