New guidelines for at-risk women.

• Position: Cholesterol - Brief Article

If, at last count, your level of HDL (good) cholesterol was 35 milligrams per deciliter, you probably were told that it was fine. You may hear a different story the next time you visit your doctor, however. According to the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource, the National Cholesterol Education Program has issued new guidelines for cholesterol testing and control for the first time since 1993.

Until recently, it was thought that the estrogen in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) offered protection from heart disease, but later research has questioned that belief. The new guidelines recommend cholesterol-lowering drugs instead of HRT for women at risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). The updated guidelines propose:

* From age 20 on, have a fasting lipoprotein test every five years to check levels of HDL, LDL (bad cholesterol), and triglycerides.

* People at the highest risk for CAD are those with other artery-clogging diseases or multiple risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, or a family history of CAD. These...