Blood cholesterol levels peak during autumn and winter but decline in spring and summer, perhaps because warm weather and more activity add volume to the blood, say researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester.
The report was based on a study of 517 healthy men and women who were tracked quarterly over a year on their diet, physical activity, exposure to light, general behaviour and cholesterol.
The average cholesterol level was 222 milligrams per decilitre of blood in men and 213 in women. If a patient's total blood cholesterol is between 200-239 milligrams per decilitre, that reading is considered borderline high and means lifestyle changes are needed, according to a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Web site. A reading above 240 milligrams is considered high or in the "danger zone".
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