Good Cholesterol Levels (Cont.)

Lowering "Bad" Cholesterol: Good Cholesterol Levels for LDL

In general, a good cholesterol level for LDL is under 100 mg/dL. But this is not the whole story. Healthy cholesterol levels for LDL also depend on the number of risk factors for heart disease a person has. For a person with no heart disease risk factors, his or her "good" LDL cholesterol level can actually be under 160 mg/dL. As risk factors increase, the healthy cholesterol level for LDL decreases. For a person who already has heart disease, diabetes, or a risk score higher than 20 percent, a good cholesterol level for LDL is under 100 mg/dL.
 
If You Have
You Are in Category
And Your LDL Goal Is
Heart disease, diabetes, or a risk score higher than 20%
I. Highest risk
Less than 100 mg/dL
Two or more risk factors and a risk score of 10–20%
II. Next highest risk
Less than 130 mg/dL
Two or more risk factors and a risk score lower than 10%
III. Moderate risk
Less than 130 mg/dL
One or no risk factors
IV. Low to moderate risk
Less than 160 mg/dL
 
(Click Heart Attack Risk or High Cholesterol Risk to learn more about your risk for having a heart attack.)
 
(Good Cholesterol Levels Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD