LDL cholesterol blood test
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
In short
A typical adult LDL cholesterol result is under 100 mg/dL (desirable). A high LDL raises the risk of heart attack and stroke over time. The right target depends on your overall heart risk, which your doctor weighs. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.
The 'bad' cholesterol that can build up in artery walls.
LDL carries cholesterol out to the body's cells, and extra LDL can build up as plaque in artery walls. It is the main number doctors use to judge cholesterol-related heart risk. Many labs work it out from the other cholesterol results instead of measuring it directly.
Is my LDL cholesterol high or low?
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Typical range
| For | Range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Adults · desirable | under 100 | mg/dL |
| Adults · desirable | under 2.6 | mmol/L |
Typical ranges for adults. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
If your LDL cholesterol is high
A high LDL raises the risk of heart attack and stroke over time. The right target depends on your overall heart risk, which your doctor weighs.
Common reasons
- Foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty meat, butter and cheese
- Extra body weight or little physical activity
- Genes: high LDL often runs in families
- An underactive thyroid
- The hormone changes that come with menopause
- Some medicines, including steroid medicines
- Less often: an inherited condition that causes very high LDL (familial hypercholesterolemia)
If your LDL cholesterol is low
A low LDL is usually good news and is often the aim of treatment. Very low levels in someone not on treatment may be looked into.
Common reasons
- Some cholesterol medicines, which is often the goal
- Weight loss or a very low-fat diet
- A recent illness, infection or surgery
- An overactive thyroid
- Less often: poor absorption of food, liver disease or a rare inherited condition
What can throw it off
Calculated LDL is less accurate when triglycerides are high, and a recent illness can lower it for weeks.
Questions to take to your appointment
- 1What LDL target fits my overall heart risk?
- 2Was my LDL calculated or measured directly?
- 3Would an ApoB or Lp(a) test add anything for me?
Read together with
Doctors rarely read LDL cholesterol alone. These usually sit next to it.
- Total cholesterolAll the cholesterol in your blood, good and bad together.
- HDL cholesterolThe 'good' cholesterol that carries extra cholesterol back to the liver.
- TriglyceridesThe main type of fat carried in the blood.
- Non-HDL cholesterolAll the 'bad' cholesterol together: total cholesterol minus HDL.
- ApoBCounts the particles that carry 'bad' cholesterol in the blood.
Quick answers
What is the LDL cholesterol blood test?
LDL cholesterol (Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol): The 'bad' cholesterol that can build up in artery walls. LDL carries cholesterol out to the body's cells, and extra LDL can build up as plaque in artery walls. It is the main number doctors use to judge cholesterol-related heart risk. Many labs work it out from the other cholesterol results instead of measuring it directly.
What is a normal LDL cholesterol level?
For most adults, LDL cholesterol is typically under 100 mg/dL (desirable). Some countries print it in mmol/L, so check the unit first. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
What does a high LDL cholesterol mean?
A high LDL raises the risk of heart attack and stroke over time. The right target depends on your overall heart risk, which your doctor weighs. Common reasons include foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty meat, butter and cheese; extra body weight or little physical activity; genes: high LDL often runs in families; and an underactive thyroid. A doctor reads it together with your other results and how you feel.
What does a low LDL cholesterol mean?
A low LDL is usually good news and is often the aim of treatment. Very low levels in someone not on treatment may be looked into. Common reasons include some cholesterol medicines, which is often the goal; weight loss or a very low-fat diet; a recent illness, infection or surgery; and an overactive thyroid.
What can affect my LDL cholesterol result?
Calculated LDL is less accurate when triglycerides are high, and a recent illness can lower it for weeks.
What should I ask my doctor about my LDL cholesterol?
Questions worth taking to the appointment: What LDL target fits my overall heart risk? Was my LDL calculated or measured directly? Would an ApoB or Lp(a) test add anything for me?
What this page can’t do
It reads each number on its own.
Doctors read results together — ALT with AST, ferritin with hemoglobin, TSH with free T4. A pattern says more than any single flag.
It doesn't know you.
Your age, your medicines, how you feel and your last result all change what a number means.
It doesn't remember.
Close this page and your results are gone. That's on purpose: nothing was ever sent to us.
We also make Vita: Health Coach, an app for those parts. It reads your whole report with your medicines and history in mind, answers follow-up questions in plain words, and keeps your reports in one place — for you and for the people you look after.
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