Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol levels include total cholesterol levels, LDL cholesterol levels, and HDL cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol levels may be misleading, because a person can have a healthy total cholesterol level and still have a low HDL cholesterol level or a high LDL cholesterol level. A total cholesterol level over 240 mg/dL is high, and a level between 200 and 239 mg/dL is borderline high. A total cholesterol level under 200 mg/dL is ideal.

 

Cholesterol Levels: An Overview

There are a number of different cholesterol tests available today, and each can be slightly different in what it measures. For example, some home cholesterol tests only check total cholesterol. Another cholesterol test, called a lipid profile or lipid panel, will measure several things, including:
 
A lipid profile may also show several cholesterol ratios (see Cholesterol Ratio).
 

Total Cholesterol Levels

Total cholesterol levels (as the name implies) refer to the total amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream.
 Total cholesterol combines levels for HDL, LDL, and another type of cholesterol known as VLDL, or very low density lipoprotein.
 
Total cholesterol levels can be misleading, because a person can have a healthy total cholesterol level and still have either a low HDL level or a high LDL level. Therefore, most cholesterol treatment decisions are based on HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, not total cholesterol levels. So, it's best to think of the total cholesterol level as an overview number.
 
A total cholesterol level over 240 mg/dL is high, a level between 200 and 239 mg/dL is borderline high, and a total cholesterol level under 200 is a healthy level of cholesterol. If your total cholesterol is higher than 240 mg/dL, your risk for heart disease and stroke is higher.
 
Total Cholesterol Level
Total Cholesterol Category
Less than 200 mg/dL
Desirable
200–239 mg/dL
Borderline high
240 mg/dL and above
High
 
(Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams [mg] of cholesterol per deciliter [dL] of blood.)
 
(Cholesterol Levels Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD