Cholesterol Levels Chart: Total, LDL, HDL & Triglycerides

What do my cholesterol numbers mean?

On the defaults — total cholesterol 210 mg/dL, LDL 130 mg/dL, HDL 45 mg/dL and triglycerides 180 mg/dL for a man — the total is Borderline high, the LDL is Borderline high, the HDL is Normal and the triglycerides are Borderline high: three borderline, one normal. A lipid panel reports four numbers in mg/dL: total cholesterol, LDL (“bad” cholesterol), HDL (“good” cholesterol) and triglycerides. The standard bands come from the NHLBI Adult Treatment Panel III. Most labs ask for a 9–12 hour fast before the test because triglycerides swing with a recent meal. This page is educational only, not medical advice — talk to a clinician about any result.

Five things about the chart are worth stating plainly. First, the total is judged on its own band: under 200 is Desirable, 200–239 is Borderline high, 240 and over is High — 210 is Borderline high. Second, LDL has five bands, not three: under 100 is Optimal, 100–129 Near optimal, 130–159 Borderline high, 160–189 High, 190 and over Very high — 130 is Borderline high. Third, HDL is the one number where higher is better: 60 and over is High and protective, and “Low” is below 40 for men and below 50 for women — 45 is Normal for a man. Fourth, triglycerides swing with a recent meal: under 150 is Normal, 150–199 Borderline high, 200–499 High, 500 and over Very high — 180 is Borderline high. And fifth, bands are inclusive at the low end — 200 total is already Borderline high, 199 is Desirable; all listed in Accuracy & limitations.

The worked example, line by line

Setup: total cholesterol 210 mg/dL, LDL 130 mg/dL, HDL 45 mg/dL, triglycerides 180 mg/dL, sex Male.

Line 1 — total cholesterol. 210 falls in 200–239, so the total is Borderline high.

Line 2 — LDL. 130 falls in 130–159, so the LDL is Borderline high.

Line 3 — HDL. 45 falls in 40–59 for a man, so the HDL is Normal.

Line 4 — triglycerides. 180 falls in 150–199, so the triglycerides are Borderline high.

Line 5 — the picture. Three borderline, one normal: total Borderline high, LDL Borderline high, HDL Normal, triglycerides Borderline high.

Table 1 — Cholesterol bands by measurement

The standard NHLBI Adult Treatment Panel III bands, in mg/dL. Bands are inclusive at the low end: 200 total is already Borderline high, 160 LDL is already High, 500 triglycerides is already Very high, 60 HDL is already High (protective), 150 triglycerides is already Borderline high, 190 LDL is already Very high. HDL “Low” is below 40 mg/dL for men and below 50 mg/dL for women.

Every branch, checked

Total cholesterol 180 mg/dL: Total cholesterol 180 mg/dL — Desirable; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Drop the total to 180 and it is Desirable — the other three numbers are unchanged.

Total cholesterol 250 mg/dL: Total cholesterol 250 mg/dL — High; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Raise the total to 250 and it is High — above the 240 boundary.

LDL 95 mg/dL: Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 95 mg/dL — Optimal; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Drop LDL to 95 and it is Optimal — below the 100 boundary.

LDL 195 mg/dL: Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 195 mg/dL — Very high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Raise LDL to 195 and it is Very high — above the 190 boundary.

HDL 65 mg/dL: Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 65 mg/dL — High (protective); triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Raise HDL to 65 and it is High (protective) — above the 60 boundary.

HDL 35 mg/dL: Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 35 mg/dL — Low; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Drop HDL to 35 and it is Low — below the 40 boundary for a man.

Triglycerides 550 mg/dL: Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 550 mg/dL — Very high — Raise triglycerides to 550 and they are Very high — above the 500 boundary.

The reverses, worked backwards

Smallest total cholesterol for Borderline high: The smallest total cholesterol for Borderline high is 200 mg/dL (exact 200). At the displayed 200 mg/dL the figures are Total cholesterol 200 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. At the lower neighbor the figures are Total cholesterol 199 mg/dL — Desirable; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. At 200 mg/dL the total is already Borderline high — bands are inclusive at the low end. At 199 mg/dL the total is Desirable.

Largest total cholesterol still Desirable: The largest total cholesterol still Desirable is 199 mg/dL (exact 199). At the displayed 199 mg/dL the figures are Total cholesterol 199 mg/dL — Desirable; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. At the lower neighbor the figures are Total cholesterol 198 mg/dL — Desirable; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. At 199 mg/dL the total is Desirable. At 200 mg/dL the total is Borderline high.

Smallest LDL for High: The smallest LDL for High is 160 mg/dL (exact 160). At the displayed 160 mg/dL the figures are Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 160 mg/dL — High; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. At the lower neighbor the figures are Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 159 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. At 160 mg/dL LDL is already High — bands are inclusive at the low end. At 159 mg/dL LDL is Borderline high.

Smallest triglycerides for Very high: The smallest triglycerides for Very high is 500 mg/dL (exact 500). At the displayed 500 mg/dL the figures are Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 500 mg/dL — Very high. At the lower neighbor the figures are Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 499 mg/dL — High. At 500 mg/dL triglycerides are already Very high. At 499 mg/dL they are High.

Smallest HDL for High (protective): The smallest HDL for High (protective) is 60 mg/dL (exact 60). At the displayed 60 mg/dL the figures are Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 60 mg/dL — High (protective); triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. At the lower neighbor the figures are Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 59 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. At 60 mg/dL HDL is already High (protective). At 59 mg/dL HDL is Normal.

Smallest total cholesterol for High: The smallest total cholesterol for High is 240 mg/dL (exact 240). At the displayed 240 mg/dL the figures are Total cholesterol 240 mg/dL — High; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. At the lower neighbor the figures are Total cholesterol 239 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. At 240 mg/dL the total is already High. At 239 mg/dL the total is Borderline high.

What the defaults assume

The defaults are total cholesterol 210 mg/dL, LDL 130 mg/dL, HDL 45 mg/dL, triglycerides 180 mg/dL and sex Male — Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high. With total cholesterol 180 mg/dL, Total cholesterol 180 mg/dL — Desirable; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Drop the total to 180 and it is Desirable — the other three numbers are unchanged. With total cholesterol 250 mg/dL, Total cholesterol 250 mg/dL — High; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Raise the total to 250 and it is High — above the 240 boundary. With LDL 95 mg/dL, Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 95 mg/dL — Optimal; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Drop LDL to 95 and it is Optimal — below the 100 boundary. With LDL 195 mg/dL, Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 195 mg/dL — Very high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Raise LDL to 195 and it is Very high — above the 190 boundary. With HDL 65 mg/dL, Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 65 mg/dL — High (protective); triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Raise HDL to 65 and it is High (protective) — above the 60 boundary. With HDL 35 mg/dL, Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 35 mg/dL — Low; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Drop HDL to 35 and it is Low — below the 40 boundary for a man. With triglycerides 550 mg/dL, Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 550 mg/dL — Very high — Raise triglycerides to 550 and they are Very high — above the 500 boundary.With all best: total 170, LDL 90, HDL 65, triglycerides 100, Total cholesterol 170 mg/dL — Desirable; LDL 90 mg/dL — Optimal; HDL 65 mg/dL — High (protective); triglycerides 100 mg/dL — Normal — Every number in its best band. With all worst: total 300, LDL 210, HDL 30, triglycerides 600, Total cholesterol 300 mg/dL — High; LDL 210 mg/dL — Very high; HDL 30 mg/dL — Low; triglycerides 600 mg/dL — Very high — Every number in its worst band. With LDL 190, Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 190 mg/dL — Very high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — LDL 190 is already Very high; LDL 189 is High — the 190 boundary. With triglycerides 150, Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 150 mg/dL — Borderline high — Triglycerides 150 are already Borderline high; 149 are Normal — the 150 boundary. With same HDL 45, sex Female, Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 45 mg/dL — Low; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — A woman with HDL 45 is Low, not Normal — the women’s low threshold is 50. With male HDL 40, Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL — Borderline high; LDL 130 mg/dL — Borderline high; HDL 40 mg/dL — Normal; triglycerides 180 mg/dL — Borderline high — Male HDL 40 is Normal; male HDL 39 is Low — the 40 boundary. A total cholesterol of 0 is an input error — every reading must be above 0, and the calculator shows an error, not a result.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The patient reading a new lipid panel: they learn total 210, LDL 130, HDL 45 and triglycerides 180 is three borderline and one normal — and they check the 180 branch to see the total turn Desirable.
• The person tracking LDL over time: they learn 130 is Borderline high and 95 is Optimal — and they check the 160 reverse to see where High starts.
• The woman comparing her HDL: she learns HDL 45 is Low for a woman, not Normal — and she checks the 60 reverse to see where High (protective) starts.
• The person fasting before the test: they learn triglycerides swing with a recent meal — and they check the 500 reverse to see where Very high starts.

Accuracy & limitations

The chart is the standard NHLBI Adult Treatment Panel III bands, in mg/dL, with each band inclusive at its low end: total under 200 is Desirable, 200–239 Borderline high, 240 and over High; LDL under 100 Optimal, 100–129 Near optimal, 130–159 Borderline high, 160–189 High, 190 and over Very high; HDL under 40 (men) or under 50 (women) Low, 40–59 (men) or 50–59 (women) Normal, 60 and over High (protective); triglycerides under 150 Normal, 150–199 Borderline high, 200–499 High, 500 and over Very high. What the chart cannot do is diagnose anything: a single panel is one snapshot, and triglycerides swing with a recent meal — most labs ask for a 9–12 hour fast; the bands are population ranges, not personal targets, and a clinician sets targets from the whole picture (age, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, family history); the sex select changes only the HDL low threshold — all other bands are the same for both sexes; and readings in different units (mmol/L) must be converted first. This page is educational only, not medical advice — talk to a clinician about any result.

Frequently asked questions