Is 160 a dangerous cholesterol number?

Depends: If we are talking about total cholesterol then generally no. If we are talking LDL then this is elevated & needs to be discussed with a healthcare provider.

Depends: Cholesterol is separated into LDL and hdl, with HDL considered "good cholesterol" and LDL considered a "bad cholesterol". The fraction of each is more important than the raw numbers. A total of 160 is ok (less than 140 is better), but if you have a high HDL to LDL ratio, 160 is not bad.

Need Information: Both labs and risk factors are important in knowing cardiovascular (cvd) risk. More than cholesterol, cvd is related to the number of LDL (ldl-p) and HDL particles (hdl-p). Because cholesterol in LDL and HDL particles is highly variable cholesterol levels often disagree with particle number. When cholesterol and particle number disagree cvd risk tracks with ldl-p and hdl-p, not ldl-c or hdl-c.

Not necessarily: But more information on HDL & LDL needed.