The total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglyceride lines MedlinePlus prints, what the NHS lists, the ESC/EAS LDL-C goals by risk group, mg/dL against mmol/L, and what to ask your doctor. The range on your report, and your doctor, govern.
MedlinePlus (updated 15 October 2024) lists, for adults 20 and over, total cholesterol under 200 mg/dL and LDL under 100 mg/dL, while the ESC/EAS guidelines (2019; goals kept in 2025) set the LDL-C goal by risk group, from under 3.0 mmol/L (116 mg/dL) to under 1.4 mmol/L (55 mg/dL). The range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.
This page sets those published numbers out in plain words and lists what to ask. It does not read your result, tell you it is normal, or diagnose anything. A lipid profile reports LDL, HDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides (MedlinePlus, updated 15 October 2024).
In short:
- LDL is the “bad” cholesterol and HDL the “good” one (CDC, May 2024). Triglycerides are a separate fat reported on the same test (MedlinePlus, October 2024).
- There is no single line for everyone: sources print different lines, in different units, and the ESC/EAS goal depends on a risk group your doctor places you in.
- mg/dL and mmol/L are two units for one test: check the unit beside your number.
- Whether to fast is for your lab’s sheet to say.
Last checked: 31 October 2026, on the pages listed under Sources. Guidelines and pages change, so confirm with your doctor.
What is the normal range for a lipid profile?
No single range answers this. MedlinePlus prints its lines in mg/dL, the NHS in mmol/L, and the ESC/EAS guidelines set goals by risk group instead of a normal range (see below).
| Item | MedlinePlus, adults 20 and over (mg/dL) | NHS, “a guide for healthy adults” (mmol/L) |
|---|---|---|
| Total cholesterol | Under 200 | Below 5 |
| LDL (“bad”) | Under 100 | Not listed on the page |
| HDL (“good”) | 60 or more is best; under 40 is low for men, under 50 low for women | Above 1.0 for men, above 1.2 for women |
| Non-HDL | Under 130 | Below 4 |
MedlinePlus, Cholesterol Levels, updated 15 October 2024; NHS, Cholesterol levels, last reviewed 13 March 2026; both read 31 October 2026. MedlinePlus prints other values for people 19 or younger, which this page does not cover. The two columns use different units, so numbers cannot be read across them. Published lines are not a verdict on your result: the range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.
The total is not the whole picture: the NHS (13 March 2026) says your GP uses your cholesterol levels along with other factors, such as age, blood pressure and health conditions, to estimate your risk of cardiovascular disease.
What do “bad” and “good” cholesterol mean on my report?
The CDC (page dated May 2024) calls LDL “bad” cholesterol because high levels can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, heart disease or stroke, and HDL “good” because high levels can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. The NHS also calls HDL “good cholesterol”. MedlinePlus says LDL may be calculated from your other results or measured directly.
The ESC/EAS guidelines (2019) add that no specific goals for HDL-C have been determined in clinical trials, and that at extremely high values, above about 2.3 mmol/L (90 mg/dL), HDL-C cannot be used as a risk predictor. What your own HDL means is for your doctor.
Is cholesterol the same as triglycerides?
No. They are two different substances reported on the same test. The CDC (May 2024) describes cholesterol as a waxy, fat-like substance made by your liver and triglycerides as a type of fat in your blood that your body uses for energy.
| Triglycerides, adults | mg/dL (MedlinePlus, updated 9 December 2024) |
|---|---|
| Healthy (MedlinePlus’s label) | Less than 150 |
| Borderline high | 150 to 199 |
| High | 200 to 499 |
| Very high | 500 and higher |
The ESC/EAS guidelines (2019, Table 7) set no triglyceride goal: under 1.7 mmol/L (150 mg/dL) indicates lower risk, and higher levels indicate a need to look for other risk factors.
Why can the goal be different for each person?
Because the ESC/EAS guidelines set an LDL-C goal for each risk group, not one number for everyone. The 2025 focused update (European Heart Journal, online 29 August 2025) says those goals have not changed from 2019, and endorses risk scores such as SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP for estimating cardiovascular risk, which it says should not be used for people who already have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
| Risk group named by the guideline | LDL-C goal | Non-HDL-C secondary goal |
|---|---|---|
| Very high risk | At least 50% lower than baseline, and under 1.4 mmol/L (55 mg/dL) | Under 2.2 mmol/L (85 mg/dL) |
| High risk | At least 50% lower than baseline, and under 1.8 mmol/L (70 mg/dL) | Under 2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) |
| Moderate risk | Under 2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) | Under 3.4 mmol/L (130 mg/dL) |
| Low risk | Under 3.0 mmol/L (116 mg/dL) | Not listed |
ESC/EAS 2019 guidelines, Table 7 (Eur Heart J 2020;41:111–188); goals confirmed unchanged by the 2025 focused update (Eur Heart J 2025;46:4359–4378); read 31 October 2026. These are treatment goals for each risk group, not a normal range. Which group you are in, and whether a goal applies to you, is your doctor’s call. This page transcribes one guideline only.
mg/dL or mmol/L: which unit is on my report?
MedlinePlus and the CDC print mg/dL, the NHS prints mmol/L, and the ESC/EAS guidelines print both. A number read against the wrong table lands in the wrong band. Cholesterol and triglycerides do not convert by the same factor: the ESC/EAS guidelines (2019, Table 7) pair 2.6 mmol/L with 100 mg/dL for LDL-C but 1.7 mmol/L with 150 mg/dL for triglycerides. If the unit on your report is unclear, ask the lab. This page cannot say which unit your lab uses, and the Egyptian official page we read does not say.
Do I need to fast for a cholesterol test?
Follow your lab’s sheet. MedlinePlus (15 October 2024) says you may need to fast for 9 to 12 hours and the CDC (May 2024) says 8 to 12. For general risk screening, the ESC/EAS guidelines (2019) say non-fasting samples seem to have at least the same prognostic value, and in most studies they show triglycerides about 0.3 mmol/L (27 mg/dL) higher. Which blood tests need fasting sets common tests side by side.
What should I ask my doctor about my lipid profile?
- Is my result in mg/dL or mmol/L, and what range does this lab print?
- Is my LDL calculated or measured directly?
- Which risk group am I in, and is there an LDL-C goal for me?
- Could being unwell, a medicine I take or a recent birth have changed this result? (The NHS says levels may then be lower or higher.)
- Does this need to be repeated, and when?
Pick the questions that matter to you and take the list with you:
Try it
Your questions for the doctor
Tick the questions you want to ask, add your own, then copy, print or send the list to yourself.
4 questions on your list.
What you type stays on this page. Nothing is saved or sent unless you copy, print or send it yourself.
If you follow diabetes, blood pressure or thyroid, the follow-up planner shows where a cholesterol check sits among the other checks and papers to keep.
In Egypt: is a blood-fat test part of the screening initiative?
According to a Ministry of Health and Population statement of 7 May 2026, carried on the State Information Service page (updated 9 May 2026), the services of Egypt’s presidential initiative for early detection of chronic disease include blood pressure, random and cumulative sugar, blood fat levels («نسب الدهون في الدم»), kidney function and body mass index. They run through 3,601 primary care units for citizens over 40 and for young people from 18 with a medical history or risk factors, and the page describes them as free of charge to the citizen (read 31 October 2026).
The page names blood fats without naming cholesterol or triglycerides, and prints no figures, so it cannot tell you which range or unit a lab applies. Ask the unit or lab you use.
Where Medigize stands
Medigize is a navigation tool. It does not run lab tests or read your result. We are building a record that moves with the patient, shared only with their consent. If you would like to follow that work, you can register your interest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the normal range for a lipid profile?
MedlinePlus (15 October 2024) lists total cholesterol under 200 mg/dL and LDL under 100 mg/dL for adults 20 and over; the NHS (13 March 2026) lists total cholesterol below 5 mmol/L. The range printed on your report, and your doctor, govern.
Is cholesterol the same as triglycerides?
No. They are two different substances on the same lipid profile (CDC, May 2024; MedlinePlus, October 2024).
What are “bad” and “good” cholesterol?
The CDC (May 2024) calls LDL “bad” and HDL “good”. They are two lines of the same test.
Do I need to fast for a cholesterol test?
MedlinePlus says you may need to fast for 9 to 12 hours, and the CDC says 8 to 12. Your lab’s own sheet decides.
Medigize is a non-diagnostic navigation tool. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Sources
- Mach F, Baigent C, Catapano AL, et al. 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: lipid modification to reduce cardiovascular risk. European Heart Journal 2020;41(1):111–188 (doi 10.1093/eurheartj/ehz455), read 31 October 2026
- Mach F, Koskinas KC, Roeters van Lennep JE, et al. 2025 Focused Update of the 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias. European Heart Journal 2025;46(42):4359–4378 (doi 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf190), published online 29 August 2025, read 31 October 2026
- MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): Cholesterol Levels, updated 15 October 2024, read 31 October 2026
- MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): Triglycerides Test, updated 9 December 2024, read 31 October 2026
- NHS: Cholesterol levels, last reviewed 13 March 2026, read 31 October 2026
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): About Cholesterol, page dated 15 May 2024, read 31 October 2026
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Cholesterol Testing, page dated May 2024, read 31 October 2026
- Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS): early detection of kidney disease and chronic-disease screening initiative, carrying a Ministry of Health and Population statement of 7 May 2026, page updated 9 May 2026, read 31 October 2026
Last updated:
Explore Medigize
Medigize is in development. Explore our current scope and express your interest.