Total Cholesterol

• A woman's total cholesterol level should be less than 200 mg/dL.
  
  

HDL Cholesterol Level

• A woman's HDL cholesterol level should be more than 50 mg/dL. Higher levels of this "good" cholesterol are better. A level closer to 60 mg/dL is considered best.
  
  

LDL Cholesterol

• A woman's LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/DL.
  
  

Trigylceride Level

• A woman's triglyceride level should be less than 150 mg/dL.
  
  

Menopausal Effects on Cholesterol

• Women face a special challenge concerning cholesterol because hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause often cause LDL cholesterol to increase and HDL cholesterol to decrease. This effect raises a post-menopausal woman's risk of heart disease.