Cholesterol and Triglycerides Tests

HDL Cholesterol Test, LDL Cholesterol Test, Lipid Profile, Lipoprotein Analysis, Total Cholesterol Test, Triglycerides and Cholesterol Tests

Results

Cholesterol and triglyceride tests are blood tests that measure the total amount of fatty substances (cholesterol and triglycerides) in the blood.

Results are usually available within 24 hours.

Target cholesterol and triglyceride levels vary according to your risk of having a heart attack. The cholesterol levels given in the following table are for people at low risk of having a heart attack in the next ten years. If you are at moderate or high risk of having a heart attack, your target cholesterol levels may be different. For your actual target levels, talk to your doctor.

Cholesterol and triglycerides*

LDL cholesterol	Optimal:	Less than 5.0 mmol/L Less than 195 mg/dL
	High:	5.0 mmol/L or higher 195 mg/dL or higher
Total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio	Desirable:	5.9 or less
	Undesirable:	More than 5.9
VLDL cholesterol (Note: These target levels for VLDL cholesterol are based on U.S. guidelines and are followed in Canada.)	Optimal:	Less than 3.4 mmol/L Less than 130 mg/dL
	Borderline high:	3.4–4.1 mmol/L 140–159 mg/dL
	High:	4.1 mmol/L or higher 160 mg/dL or higher
Triglycerides	Normal:	Less than 1.5 mmol/L
	Moderately high:	1.5–6.0 mmol/L
	Very high:	6.0 mmol/L or higher
*The figures in this table are provided by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, the Canadian Working Group on Hypercholesterolemia and Other Dyslipidemias (WGHOD), and the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

 

• An HDL level of 1.5 mmol/L (60 mg/dL) or higher protects against heart disease.
• HDL cholesterol levels of 1.0 mmol/L (40 mg/dL) or lower increase your risk of developing heart disease, especially if you also have high total cholesterol levels.
• Very high cholesterol and triglyceride levels may be caused by an inherited form of high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia)
• If you have a very high risk of having a heart attack, your doctor may want your LDL level to be less than 1.81 mmol/L (70 mg/dL). You have a very high risk if you smoke and have coronary artery disease, or if you have coronary artery disease and diabetes, acute coronary syndrome, or metabolic syndrome.

Many conditions can affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Your health professional will talk with you about any abnormal results that may be related to your other health problems.

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Author:	Douglas Dana Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: November 2, 2007
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
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