The following information has been summarized from the Mayo Clinic web site for your convenience, as well as from McKesson Clinical Reference Systems.
Cholesterol is a type of fat. It has both good and bad effects on the body. Your body uses cholesterol to make hormones and to build and maintain nerve cells. However, when your body has too much cholesterol, deposits of fat in the blood called plaque form inside blood vessel walls. The blood vessel walls thicken and become narrower (a condition called atherosclerosis). This change in the blood vessels reduces blood flow through the blood vessels, possibly leading to heart attacks or strokes.
Most of the cholesterol in your blood is made by your liver from the fats, carbohydrates and proteins you eat. You also get cholesterol by eating animal products such as meat, eggs and dairy products.
Interpreting your cholesterol numbers
Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood in the United States and some other countries. Canada and most European countries measure cholesterol in millimoles (mmol) per liter (L) of blood. Consider these general guidelines when you get your lipid panel (cholesterol test) results back to see if your cholesterol falls in optimal levels.
|
Total cholesterol
(U.S. and some other countries)
|
Total cholesterol*
(Canada and most of Europe)
|
|
|
Below 200 mg/dL
|
Below 5.2 mmol/L
|
Desirable
|
|
200-239 mg/dL
|
5.2-6.2 mmol/L
|
Borderline high
|
|
240 mg/dL and above
|
Above 6.2 mmol/L
|
High
|
|
LDL cholesterol
(U.S. and some other countries)
|
LDL cholesterol*
(Canada and most of Europe)
|
|
|
Below 70 mg/dL
|
Below 1.8 mmol/L
|
Optimal for people at very high risk of heart disease
|
|
Below 100 mg/dL
|
Below 2.6 mmol/L
|
Optimal for people at risk of heart disease
|
|
100-129 mg/dL
|
2.6-3.3 mmol/L
|
Near optimal
|
|
130-159 mg/dL
|
3.4-4.1 mmol/L
|
Borderline high
|
|
160-189 mg/dL
|
4.1-4.9 mmol/L
|
High
|
|
190 mg/dL and above
|
Above 4.9 mmol/L
|
Very high
|
|
HDL cholesterol
(U.S. and some other countries)
|
HDL cholesterol*
(Canada and most of Europe)
|
|
|
Below 40 mg/dL (men)
Below 50 mg/dL (women)
|
Below 1 mmol/L (men)
Below 1.3 mmol/L (women)
|
Poor
|
|
50-59 mg/dL
|
1.3-1.5 mmol/L
|
Better
|
|
60 mg/dL and above
|
Above 1.5 mmol/L
|
Best
|
|
Triglycerides
(U.S. and some other countries)
|
Triglycerides*
(Canada and most of Europe)
|
|
|
Below 150 mg/dL
|
Below 1.7 mmol/L
|
Desirable
|
|
150-199 mg/dL
|
1.7-2.2 mmol/L
|
Borderline high
|
|
200-499 mg/dL
|
2.3-5.6 mmol/L
|
High
|
|
500 mg/dL and above
|
Above 5.6 mmol/L
|
Very high
|
*Canadian and European guidelines differ slightly from U.S. guidelines. These conversions are based on U.S. guidelines. |
