My friend recently had her cholesterol tested and the doctor said she needed to be careful because it was pretty high. I guess high cholesterol runs in her family history though. She is in shape and works out at least 3 days a week so I found her high cholesterol suprising, especially because she is still only in her 20's. Anyway, I'm just wondering what is a healthy cholesterol level?

It sounds like your friend's high cholesterol was due to the fact that it runs in her family.

Generally, men who are 35 or higher and women who are 45 or higher should have their cholesterol checked periodically. High cholesterol levels are not good because they can cause heart attacks or strokes.

Here are the 3 basic categories for cholesterol:

• Desirable -- Less than 200 mg/dL
• Borderline High Risk -- 200 - 239 mg/dL
• High Risk -- 240 mg/dL and over