Lipoprotein/cholesterol analysis; Lipid profile; Lipid panel; Hyperlipidemia - testing; Coronary risk profile

The ideal values depend on whether you have heart disease or other risk factors. Your health care provider can tell you what your ideal results should be.

The desired values in most adults are:

• LDL cholesterol : lower than 130 mg/dL (lower numbers are desired)
• HDL cholesterol : greater than 40 - 60 mg/dL (higher numbers are desired)
• Total cholesterol : less than 200 mg/dL (lower numbers are desired)
• Triglycerides: 10 - 150 (lower numbers are desired)
• VLDL: 2 - 38

Talk to your health care provider about the ideal levels in children.

Note: mg/dL = milligrams per deciliter

Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.

Abnormal values may be a sign that you are at increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and other problems caused by narrowed or blocked arteries.

Any active illness, such as a flare-up of arthritis, can change your total cholesterol number. If you have had an illness in the 3 months before having this test, you should have this test repeated in 2 or 3 months.

See: High cholesterol to learn more about the causes of high cholesterol levels.

See also:

• Cholesterol and lifestyle
• Cholesterol - drug treatment

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Review Date: 05/20/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)