Know to Prevail
Menu

Know your numbers

Cholesterol test results: what each number means

A lipid panel reports total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, non-HDL and triglycerides. For adults, healthy levels are total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL, LDL below 100 mg/dL, non-HDL below 130 mg/dL and triglycerides below 150 mg/dL, with HDL as high as possible. (MedlinePlus, 2024) (MedlinePlus, 2024) The numbers describe risk, not a diagnosis. Your doctor decides what they mean for you.

What each number is

  • Total cholesterol: all the cholesterol in your blood. (MedlinePlus, 2024)
  • LDL ("bad") cholesterol: the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockages in the arteries. Lower is better. (NHLBI, 2024) (MedlinePlus, 2024)
  • HDL ("good") cholesterol: helps get rid of LDL. A higher HDL may help lower the risk of heart attack or stroke. (MedlinePlus, 2024)
  • Non-HDL cholesterol: total cholesterol minus HDL, so it counts LDL and other types such as VLDL. (MedlinePlus, 2026)
  • Triglycerides: not a type of cholesterol but a type of fat in the blood, measured in the same test. (MedlinePlus, 2026)

Results in the United States are usually given in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). (MedlinePlus, 2024) Many other countries use millimoles per liter (mmol/L). The mmol/L values below are the mg/dL values divided by 38.6 for cholesterol and 88.6 for triglycerides, the factors the 2018 AHA/ACC cholesterol guideline uses, rounded to one decimal. (AHA/ACC, 2018)

Healthy levels for adults 20 and older

Healthy cholesterol levels for men and women 20 and older, MedlinePlus, in mg/dL and mmol/L
NumberMen 20 and olderWomen 20 and older
Total cholesterolLess than 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L)Less than 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L)
Non-HDL cholesterolLess than 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L)Less than 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L)
LDL ("bad") cholesterolLess than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)Less than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)
HDL ("good") cholesterol60 mg/dL (1.6 mmol/L) or more is best; less than 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L) is low60 mg/dL (1.6 mmol/L) or more is best; less than 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) is low

Levels from MedlinePlus. (MedlinePlus, 2024) NHLBI states its goal for a healthy lipid profile as non-HDL below 130 mg/dL with HDL of at least 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women, and asks you to check with your provider on the levels that are best for you. (NHLBI, 2024)

Healthy levels for children and teens 19 and younger

Healthy cholesterol levels for people 19 and younger, MedlinePlus, in mg/dL and mmol/L
NumberHealthy level
Total cholesterolLess than 170 mg/dL (4.4 mmol/L)
Non-HDL cholesterolLess than 120 mg/dL (3.1 mmol/L)
LDL cholesterolLess than 110 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L)
HDL cholesterolMore than 45 mg/dL (1.2 mmol/L)

Levels from MedlinePlus. (MedlinePlus, 2024) Ask your child's provider to explain what the results mean.

Triglyceride levels for adults

Triglyceride levels for adults from healthy to very high, MedlinePlus, in mg/dL and mmol/L
CategoryTriglycerides
HealthyLess than 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)
Borderline high150 to 199 mg/dL (1.7 to 2.2 mmol/L)
High200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol/L)
Very high500 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) and higher

Levels from MedlinePlus, which says guidelines for children and teens are different. Higher than normal triglycerides may mean a higher risk of heart disease and stroke and raise the risk of metabolic syndrome; very high levels raise the risk of sudden pancreatitis. If triglycerides are borderline, your provider may order an apolipoprotein B (apo B) test to understand your risk better. (MedlinePlus, 2024)

Fasting or not

The sources differ in how they put it. MedlinePlus says you may need to fast for 9 to 12 hours, and NHLBI says your provider may ask you to fast for 8 to 12 hours. (MedlinePlus, 2024) (NHLBI, 2024) The 2018 AHA/ACC guideline says screening can be done with fasting or nonfasting lipids. (AHA/ACC, 2018) The authors of the AHA PREVENT risk equations note that total cholesterol and HDL change little with fasting. (Khan et al., 2024) Follow what your provider or lab tells you, and say whether you ate if nobody asked.

Why one number is not a diagnosis

MedlinePlus says a cholesterol test gives you and your provider information about your risk of heart disease, and that a healthy level for you may depend on your age, family history, lifestyle and other risk factors. (MedlinePlus, 2024) That is why doctors look at the whole panel and your other risk factors rather than one line of the report.

Some results make a doctor look closer. The 2018 AHA/ACC guideline calls an LDL of 190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L) or higher severe hypercholesterolemia, a group it treats separately from the usual risk estimate. It lists an LDL that stays at 160 mg/dL (4.1 mmol/L) or higher, and triglycerides that stay at 175 mg/dL (2.0 mmol/L) or higher, among the factors that raise risk. (AHA/ACC, 2018) If your home test shows total cholesterol above 200 mg/dL, MedlinePlus says to tell your provider. (MedlinePlus, 2024)

How your results feed a 10-year risk estimate

For adults 40 to 75, the USPSTF uses an estimated 10-year risk of a heart attack or stroke, with high cholesterol (dyslipidemia) as one of four risk factors it names along with diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking. It names the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations as one calculator that may be used. (USPSTF, 2022)

The American Heart Association's PREVENT equations, published in Circulation in 2024, were built for adults 30 to 79 without known heart disease, estimate 10-year and 30-year risk, count heart failure as well as heart attack and stroke, and use total cholesterol and HDL along with blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and kidney function. They do not use race. (Khan et al., 2024) Your doctor may use either calculator. This site does not calculate risk scores.

This page does not give treatment goals or medicine advice. For who the USPSTF says should be offered a statin, see statins for prevention by age.

When to recheck

For healthy people, NHLBI's general guide is every 5 years for younger adults, every 1 to 2 years for men 45 to 65 and women 55 to 65, and every year after 65. (NHLBI, 2024) You may be tested more often if you have a higher risk of heart problems, for example from high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking or a family history. (MedlinePlus, 2024) The full schedule, by age and by source, is on cholesterol test by age.

Questions people ask

What is a normal cholesterol level for adults?

MedlinePlus gives healthy levels for adults 20 and older as total cholesterol less than 200 mg/dL, non-HDL less than 130 mg/dL, LDL less than 100 mg/dL and HDL of 60 mg/dL or more. HDL is low below 40 mg/dL for men and below 50 mg/dL for women. A healthy level for you may depend on your age, family history and other risk factors. (MedlinePlus, 2024)

What is non-HDL cholesterol?

Your total cholesterol minus your HDL. It includes LDL and other types such as VLDL. NHLBI says the goal for a healthy lipid profile is non-HDL below 130 mg/dL, with HDL of at least 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women. (MedlinePlus, 2026) (NHLBI, 2024)

Do I need to fast for a lipid panel?

It depends on your provider. MedlinePlus says you may be asked to fast for 9 to 12 hours, and NHLBI says 8 to 12 hours. The 2018 AHA/ACC guideline says screening can be done fasting or nonfasting, and total cholesterol and HDL change little with fasting. Follow the instructions you are given. (MedlinePlus, 2024) (NHLBI, 2024) (AHA/ACC, 2018) (Khan et al., 2024)

How do I convert cholesterol from mg/dL to mmol/L?

The 2018 AHA/ACC guideline divides total, LDL, HDL and non-HDL cholesterol in mg/dL by 38.6, and triglycerides by 88.6. For example, 200 mg/dL of total cholesterol is about 5.2 mmol/L. (AHA/ACC, 2018)

Does one high cholesterol number mean I have heart disease?

No. A lipid panel tells you and your provider about your risk of heart disease, not whether you have it. Your provider reads it together with your age, blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and family history, often in a 10-year risk estimate. Your doctor decides what it means for you. (MedlinePlus, 2024) (USPSTF, 2022)

Related