Introduction:

Hypercholesterolemia is associated with cardiovascular diseases in the elderly population and, also, with risk factors such as age, life expectancy, and functional capacity. Aging as a social transformation of the twenty-first century constitutes an epidemiological situation related with the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. They are classified as modifiable (high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, smoking, obesity) and non-modifiable (age, sex, family history). Smoking potentiates this disease, as does high blood pressure by multiplying functional limitations.

Objective:

To describe hypercholesterolemia as a cardiovascular risk factor in older adults.

Methods:

A bibliographic review study was carried out through systematic consultation of articles and books published in electronic databases such as PubMed, Scielo, Dialnet, Cochrane plus, Redalyc, Elsevier, in addition to national and international organizations, during the period from January to June 2019. In order to search for the information, health descriptors were used, such as hipercolesterolemia [hypercholesterolemia], adulto mayor [older adults], factores de riesgo [risk factors], together with the Boolean operator and. We also consulted websites such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Cardiovascular disease and diabetes, American Diabetes Association, Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management.

Conclusions:

Hypercholesterolemia is a modifiable risk factor; therefore, it is recommended to establish prevention strategies that modify the lifestyle of the older adults positively. Furthermore, statins should be used in doses of low to moderate intensity, considering the pharmacological interactions and adverse effects, as well as presence of comorbidities and life expectancy.

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