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How to Read Your Cholesterol Results
Chad Crisco
Your lab report came back with four cholesterol numbers and a column of reference ranges. Here is what each one means, the targets most labs and doctors use, and what tends to move them.
The four numbers on a lipid panel
LDL cholesterol
LDL carries cholesterol into your artery walls, which is why it gets called the "bad" cholesterol. It is the number most treatment decisions are built around. For most adults, under 100 mg/dL is the usual target. People with heart disease, diabetes or other risk factors are often given a lower target by their doctor.
HDL cholesterol
HDL carries cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver. Higher is generally better. Common guidance is 40 mg/dL or more for men and 50 mg/dL or more for women.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are the fat in your blood that comes mostly from what you eat and drink. Under 150 mg/dL is considered normal. They rise quickly with sugar, refined carbs and alcohol, and they respond quickly when those change.
Total cholesterol
Total cholesterol adds up the pieces. Under 200 mg/dL is considered desirable, but on its own it says less than LDL and HDL do, because a high HDL can push the total up.
Why your lab's ranges might look different
Labs print their own reference ranges, and your doctor sets your personal target based on your whole picture: blood pressure, blood sugar, family history, smoking and more. The numbers above are the common starting points, not a diagnosis. Bring your actual report to your doctor and ask what your target is.
What tends to move the numbers
- Moving most days. Regular moderate exercise like brisk walking raises HDL and lowers triglycerides. A walk after meals is one of the easiest places to start.
- Fiber. Oats, beans, lentils and fruit contain soluble fiber, which helps lower LDL.
- Swapping the fats. Replacing saturated fat (fatty meats, butter) with olive oil, nuts, avocado and fish helps LDL.
- Less sugar and alcohol. These are the fastest levers for triglycerides.
- Sleep and stress. Both affect how your body handles fat and sugar, and both are easy to overlook.
Many people also need medication, and that is a conversation for your doctor. Habits and medication work together; one does not replace the other.
Questions worth asking your doctor
- What LDL target makes sense for me, given everything else on my record?
- When should I retest to see whether changes are working?
- Do any of my other results, like blood sugar or blood pressure, change how we should read these numbers?
Turn the report into a plan
Understanding the numbers is the first half. The second half is doing something with them every day until the retest. Upload your lab report to Grace and she explains every number in plain language, gives you questions for your doctor, and builds the habits into a plan she counts with you. You can share your progress with the people you love, too.
Sources: MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), "Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know"; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, "Blood Cholesterol." Grace explains and organizes your results; your doctor makes medical decisions with you.