A Texas cardiologist says that cholesterol screening should begin at age 20, since atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can begin early in life. Dr. Anand Rohatgi, a cardiologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, says that if early screening shows that a person has high levels of bad cholesterol or low levels of good cholesterol, he or she can be counseled to make lifestyle changes that can help them reduce their heart disease risk in later life.