Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in the body. The liver makes cholesterol, and it is also in some foods, such as meat and dairy products. The body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if your child or teen has high cholesterol (too much cholesterol in the blood), it can stick to the walls of their arteries and narrow or even block the arteries. This can put your child or teen at risk of coronary artery disease and other heart diseases.
Three main factors contribute to high cholesterol in children and teens:
- An unhealthy diet, especially one that is high in saturated fats
- A family history of high cholesterol, especially when one or both parents have high cholesterol
- Having obesity
Some diseases, such as diabetes, kidney disease, and certain thyroid diseases, can also cause high cholesterol in children and teens.
There are usually no signs or symptoms that your child or teen has high cholesterol.
There is a blood test to measure cholesterol levels. The test gives information about:
- Total cholesterol. This is a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood. It includes both low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
- LDL cholesterol. LDL is often called "bad" cholesterol because it is the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries.
- HDL cholesterol. HDL is often called "good" cholesterol because it helps remove cholesterol from your arteries.
- Non-HDL. This number is your total cholesterol minus your HDL. Your non-HDL includes LDL and other types of cholesterol such as VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein).
- Triglycerides. This is another type of fat in your blood that can raise the risk of heart disease.
For anyone aged 19 or younger, the healthy levels of cholesterol are
When and how often your child or teen should get this test depends on their age, risk factors, and family history. The general recommendations are:
- The first test should be between ages 9 to 11
- Children should have the test again every 5 years
- Some children may have this test starting at age 2 if there is a family history of high cholesterol, heart attack, or stroke
Lifestyle changes are the main treatment for high cholesterol in children and teens. These changes include:
- Being more active. This includes getting regular physical activity and spending less time sitting (in front of a television, at a computer, on a phone or tablet, etc.).
- Healthy eating. A diet to lower cholesterol includes limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, sugar, and cholesterol. It is also important to eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Losing weight, if your child or teen is overweight or has obesity.
If everyone in the family makes these changes, it will be easier for your child or teen to stick to them. It is also an opportunity to improve your health, and the health of the rest of your family.
Sometimes these lifestyle changes are not enough to lower your child or teen's cholesterol. Their health care provider may consider giving your child or teen cholesterol medicines if they:
- Are at least 10 years old.
- Have an LDL (bad) cholesterol level that is higher than 190 mg/dL, even after six months of diet and exercise changes.
- Have an LDL (bad) cholesterol level that is higher than 160 mg/dL AND are at high risk for heart disease.
- Have familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). FH is an inherited disorder that causes very high levels of cholesterol in the blood.
It sits within Children and Teenagers, Blood, Heart and Circulation and Food and Nutrition.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
16 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Lerodalcibep in Children 6 to 17 Years, With Heterozygous FHLIB Therapeutics LLC
- A Study of Enlicitide Decanoate (MK-0616, an Oral PCSK9 Inhibitor) in Children and Adolescents With Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (MK-0616-029)Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
- EPIRUS FH Reverse Cascade ScreeningHellenic Atherosclerosis Society
Research already completed
- An Efficacy and Safety Study of Alirocumab in Children and Adolescents With Heterozygous Familial HypercholesterolemiaSanofi
- Hypocholesterolemic Effect of a Phytosterol-enriched Spreadable Cream Prepared With Virgin Olive OilUniversidad de Granada
- 8-Week PK/PD Atorvastatin Study In Children And Adolescents With Heterozygous Familial HypercholesterolemiaPfizer's Upjohn has merged with Mylan to form Viatris Inc.
- Atorvastatin Three Year Pediatric StudyPfizer's Upjohn has merged with Mylan to form Viatris Inc.
- An Efficacy and Safety Study of Alirocumab in Children and Adolescents With Homozygous Familial HypercholesterolemiaSanofi
- An 8-Week Dose-Finding Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Alirocumab in Children and Adolescents With Heterozygous Familial HypercholesterolemiaSanofi
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Learn More
- Cholesterol (For Parents)Nemours Foundation
- Cholesterol - drug treatmentMedical Encyclopedia
- Cholesterol LevelsNational Library of Medicine
- Dietary Fat and CholesterolBoston Children's Hospital
- Familial combined hyperlipidemiaMedical Encyclopedia
- Familial hypercholesterolemiaMedical Encyclopedia
- High cholesterol - childrenMedical Encyclopedia
- How to Lower Cholesterol: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
- What Is Cholesterol? (For Teens)Nemours Foundation
- What's Cholesterol? (For Kids)Nemours Foundation
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: High Cholesterol in Children and TeensNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Hypercholesterolemia. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for High Cholesterol in Children and Teens, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.