Which pairing correctly matches cholesterol screening intervals with risk category for a 46-year-old woman?

• A. High risk: every 3 years; Low risk: every 5 years
• B. High risk: every year; Low risk: every 3 years
• C. High risk: every 5 years; Low risk: every 3 years
• D. High risk: every 2 years; Low risk: every 4 years

Answer: (A)

Cholesterol screening intervals are guided by the person’s cardiovascular risk. Higher-risk individuals need closer monitoring to catch changes early and adjust treatment or lifestyle recommendations, while lower-risk individuals can be checked less frequently without missing meaningful shifts in risk.

For a 46-year-old, if she falls into a high-risk category, screening about every three years is appropriate. If she’s low risk, screening about every five years is reasonable. This pairing—high risk every 3 years and low risk every 5 years—fits the principle of more frequent monitoring for higher risk and longer intervals for lower risk. The other options either push for too-rapid rechecking in high-risk people or too-rapid or too-slow intervals for low-risk individuals, making them less consistent with standard risk-based screening guidance.