National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP II) Treatment Criteria for Hypercholesterolemia

The National Cholesterol Education Program provides criteria for when intervention to reduce serum cholesterol is recommended.

Cholesterol testing:

(1) nonfasting specimen

(2) total cholesterol

(3) HDL cholesterol

Cardiac Risk Factor	Finding	Points
age	men >= 45 years of age	+1
	women >= 55 years of age	+1
	woman with premature menopause without estrogen replacement therapy	+1
family history of premature coronary heart disease	definite MI or sudden death before age 55 in father or other first degree male relative, or before 65 in mother or other first degree female relative	+1
cigarette smoking	currently smoking	+1
hypertension	blood pressure at least 140/90 mm Hg on several occasions, or taking antihypertensive medicine	+1
HDL cholesterol level	< 35 mg/dL (< 0.91 mmol/L)	+1
	>= 60 mg/dL (>= 0.91 mmol/L)	-1
diabetes mellitus		+1

number of cardiac risk factors =

= (SUM of applicable points)

Criteria in Women for Cholesterol Reduction

age in years	number of cardiac risk factors present	LDL cholesterol in mg/dL
20 to menopause	< 2	>= 220
20 to menopause	>= 2	190-220
postmenopausal	< 2	190
postmenopausal	>= 2	160-190

Criteria in Men for Cholesterol Reduction

age in years	number of cardiac risk factors present	LDL cholesterol in mg/dL
20 - 34	< 2	>= 220
20 - 34	>= 2	190-220
>= 35	< 2	190
>= 35	>= 2	160-190

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