Biomarker
Lipid panel: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides
A lipid panel measures the fats carried in your blood. It is four numbers, and they do not all point the same way: LDL and triglycerides carry risk, HDL is protective, and total cholesterol on its own tells you very little.
What it measures
LDL cholesterol is the fraction that deposits in arterial walls and drives atherosclerosis. HDL carries cholesterol back to the liver. Triglycerides are circulating fat strongly tied to insulin resistance and diet. Non-HDL cholesterol — total minus HDL — captures every atherogenic particle in one figure and is increasingly preferred.
Reported in: mg/dL (multiply by 0.0259 for mmol/L cholesterol, 0.0113 for triglycerides)
Reference ranges
General adult targets. Personal LDL targets fall lower with diabetes or established cardiovascular disease.
LDL cholesterol — optimal
Below 100 mg/dL
Optimal for most adults; below 70 for those at high cardiovascular risk.
LDL cholesterol — borderline
100–159 mg/dL
Above optimal. Treatment depends on your overall 10-year risk, not LDL alone.
LDL cholesterol — high
160 mg/dL and above
High; 190 and above suggests possible familial hypercholesterolaemia.
HDL cholesterol
40+ (men) / 50+ (women)
Higher is generally better; low HDL is one criterion for metabolic syndrome.
Triglycerides
Below 150 mg/dL
150–199 borderline, 200–499 high, 500+ carries pancreatitis risk.
Total cholesterol
Below 200 mg/dL
Useful only alongside the fractions — a high HDL can inflate it harmlessly.
Laboratory reference ranges vary between analysers and populations. Always read the range printed on your own report.
What moves the number
- Saturated and trans fat intake, and total refined carbohydrate for triglycerides
- Body weight, particularly visceral fat
- Aerobic exercise, which raises HDL and lowers triglycerides
- Alcohol — a potent driver of triglycerides
- Genetics: familial hypercholesterolaemia affects roughly 1 in 250 people
- Thyroid function, kidney disease and some medications
How Vitals uses this measurement
Vitals flags hyperlipidemia when LDL is at or above 100 mg/dL, stores each fraction separately so you can watch them move independently, and passes total and HDL cholesterol into the ASCVD Pooled Cohort Equations for your 10-year risk estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to fast before a lipid panel?
Not usually. Non-fasting panels are acceptable for routine screening; fasting is preferred when triglycerides are very high or when a precise calculated LDL matters.
Why did my LDL go up when I lost weight?
Rapid weight loss temporarily mobilises fat stores and can transiently raise LDL. Retest once weight has been stable for a few weeks.
What is non-HDL cholesterol?
Total cholesterol minus HDL. It captures every cholesterol-carrying particle that can lodge in an artery wall, and it does not require fasting to be reliable.
Related biomarkers
Sources
- Grundy SM et al. 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol
- Nordestgaard BG et al. Fasting is not routinely required for a lipid profile, European Heart Journal 2016
Educational information only, not medical advice. Discuss your own results with a qualified healthcare professional.
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