What is a good LDL level?

Below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L) is desirable; below 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L) is often targeted when heart risk is high.

Why is high HDL considered good?

HDL carries cholesterol away from arteries, so higher levels (>= 60 mg/dL, 1.6 mmol/L) are protective against heart disease.

How do I read total/HDL ratio?

Divide total cholesterol by HDL; under 3.5 (men) or 3.0 (women) is favourable, while 5.0+ signals higher risk.

Are triglycerides part of cholesterol?

No — they are a separate blood fat, but high levels (>= 200 mg/dL, 2.3 mmol/L) also raise heart and pancreatitis risk.

Cholesterol level ranges

Cholesterol is reported as total, LDL ("bad"), HDL ("good") and triglycerides, in mg/dL or mmol/L. Lower LDL and higher HDL reduce heart-disease risk; the total-to-HDL ratio adds context.

Updated: 2026-09-10

Measure	Desirable	Borderline	High
Total cholesterol	<200 (<5.2)	200–239 (5.2–6.2)	≥240 (≥6.2)
LDL ("bad") cholesterol	<100 (<2.6)	100–159 (2.6–4.1)	≥160 (≥4.1)
LDL (optimal risk)	<70 (<1.8)	70–99 (1.8–2.6)	≥100 (≥2.6)
HDL ("good") cholesterol	≥60 (≥1.6)	40–59 (1.0–1.5)	<40 (<1.0)
Triglycerides	<150 (<1.7)	150–199 (1.7–2.2)	≥200 (≥2.3)
Triglycerides (optimal)	<100 (<1.1)	100–149 (1.1–1.7)	≥150 (≥1.7)
Non-HDL cholesterol	<130 (<3.4)	130–159 (3.4–4.1)	≥160 (≥4.1)
VLDL cholesterol	<30 (<0.8)	30–40 (0.8–1.0)	≥40 (≥1.1)
Total/HDL ratio (men)	<3.5	3.5–4.9	≥5.0
Total/HDL ratio (women)	<3.0	3.0–4.4	≥4.5

Notes

This is a general reference, not medical advice — discuss your numbers with a clinician.
To convert mg/dL to mmol/L: total/LDL/HDL x 0.0259; triglycerides x 0.0113.
For HDL, higher is better, so the 'High' column shows the low (risky) values.
Risk targets are stricter if you already have heart disease or diabetes.

What a lipid panel actually measures

A standard lipid panel reports four numbers, and only one of them is cholesterol in the narrow sense. Total cholesterol is the sum of LDL, HDL and roughly a fifth of your triglycerides. LDL and HDL are lipoproteins — the vehicles that carry cholesterol through blood — while triglycerides are a separate blood fat. Results come in mg/dL (US) or mmol/L (most of the world). For cholesterol you convert by dividing mg/dL by 38.67 (multiply by 0.02586); for triglycerides divide by 88.57 (multiply by 0.0113). Because the conversion factors differ, never reuse one for the other — a triglyceride number of 150 mg/dL is 1.7 mmol/L, not the 3.9 you would get with the cholesterol factor.

Reading the ranges, including the one that runs backwards

For total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides, lower is better: below 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L) for total, below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L) for LDL and below 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L) for triglycerides are the usual desirable bands. HDL is the exception — it is protective, so the risk sits at the bottom of the scale. An HDL of 60 mg/dL (1.6 mmol/L) or more is favourable, while below 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L) in men or 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) in women counts as a risk factor. This is why the high column on an HDL row shows the low, risky values, and it is the single most common misreading of a cholesterol chart.

Why LDL is the number clinicians chase

Of the four figures, LDL has the clearest causal link to atherosclerotic heart disease: the lower the cumulative exposure, the lower the risk. Someone with no other risk factors is usually fine below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L), but once you already have heart disease, diabetes or a high ten-year risk score, targets tighten to below 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L) or even below 55 mg/dL (1.4 mmol/L). That is why the same LDL reading can be reassuring for one person and a trigger for treatment in another. Age, blood pressure, smoking status and family history all shift the threshold, so a single number never stands alone.

Ratios and non-HDL add context

Two derived figures help when the raw numbers look mixed. The total-to-HDL ratio is total cholesterol divided by HDL: under 3.5 for men and 3.0 for women is generally favourable, while 5.0 or higher signals elevated risk. Non-HDL cholesterol is simply total minus HDL and captures every artery-clogging particle in one number, which makes it useful when triglycerides are high. The triglyceride-to-HDL ratio is a rough marker of insulin resistance when it climbs above about 3 (in mg/dL). None of these replace LDL, but they explain why two people with the same total cholesterol can have quite different risk profiles.

What moves the numbers, and what does not

Diet and lifestyle shift LDL modestly in most people: replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat, adding soluble fibre such as oats and beans, regular aerobic exercise, and losing excess weight each help by a few percent. Genetics, however, often dominate — familial hypercholesterolaemia can push LDL above 190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L) regardless of lifestyle, and it needs medical management. Smoking lowers HDL and raises risk independently. If your numbers fall outside the desirable ranges, the useful next step is a conversation with a clinician about your overall risk, not a self-directed change based on a table. Treat the chart as a vocabulary, not a diagnosis.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good LDL level?: Below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L) is desirable; below 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L) is often targeted when heart risk is high.
Why is high HDL considered good?: HDL carries cholesterol away from arteries, so higher levels (>= 60 mg/dL, 1.6 mmol/L) are protective against heart disease.
How do I read total/HDL ratio?: Divide total cholesterol by HDL; under 3.5 (men) or 3.0 (women) is favourable, while 5.0+ signals higher risk.
Are triglycerides part of cholesterol?: No — they are a separate blood fat, but high levels (>= 200 mg/dL, 2.3 mmol/L) also raise heart and pancreatitis risk.