On this page:
- Why do I need a cholesterol test?
- What does a cholesterol test measure?
- Explaining the different cholesterol levels
- Non-HDL cholesterol level
- HDL cholesterol level
- LDL cholesterol level
- Total cholesterol level
- Total cholesterol: HDL cholesterol ratio
- Triglycerides
- What are healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels?
- What are healthy levels after a heart attack or stroke?
Why do I need a cholesterol test?
Having too much of certain types of cholesterol, which doctors often call high cholesterolor hyperlipidaemia, can increase your risk of having a heart attackor stroke.
To find out whether you’re at risk of this happening, doctors carry out a blood test to measure the different types of cholesterol in your body. This is often called a lipid profile.
You can ask your GP to check your cholesterol levels, or you may be offered a finger-prick cholesterol test at your local pharmacy, or as part of the NHS Health Check in England. You will feel a sting, but this should only last a few seconds.
A drop of blood is put on a strip of paper. This is put into a machine that checks your cholesterol in a few minutes.
If you have had a heart attack or stroke, or have coronary heart disease, your doctor should be regularly checking your cholesterol levels.
Find out more about why you should have your cholesterol levels tested.
What does a cholesterol test measure?
Millimoles per litre (mmol/L) is the unit used to measure cholesterol levels in the blood.
A cholesterol test usually measures:
- your good cholesterol called HDL cholesterol
- your bad cholesterol called non-HDL cholesterol
- another type of fat in your blood (lipid) called triglyceride.
You will also get a total cholesterol result.
If your doctor says you have high cholesterol, this may mean your level of bad cholesterol is too high.
Speak to your GP if you’re unsure what your target levels are.
Explaining the different cholesterol levels
Your cholesterol test will tell you if the different types of cholesterol in your blood are at a healthy level.
Your cholesterol test results may be hard to understand. If you’re not sure what your results mean, speak to your doctor who can explain them to you.
Here are the different types of cholesterol that you may see on your cholesterol test results and what your results may mean.
Non-HDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) level
This is the amount of bad cholesterol in your blood.
This type of cholesterol is called bad cholesterol because it can cause the build-up of fatty material in your arteries.
Below 4.0mmol/L is a healthy level of bad cholesterol. After a heart attack or stroke, below 2.6mmol/L is a healthy level.
HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) level
This is the level of good cholesterol in your blood. It’s called good cholesterol because it helps to get rid of bad cholesterol from your blood.
Above 1.0mmol/L is a healthy level for men and above 1.2mmol/L is a healthy level for women.
LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) level
Your doctors may also test for a specific type of cholesterol, called LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.
It’s only tested for if your healthcare team think you may need treatment.
Healthy levels are below 3.0mmol/L, or 2.0mmol/L after a heart attack or stroke.
Total cholesterol level
This shows the total amount of cholesterol in your blood. This is your good cholesterol and bad cholesterol together. It’s sometimes called serum cholesterol or TC. For a healthy heart, the aim is to have a high level of HDL (good) cholesterol, and a lower level of non-HDL (bad) cholesterol.
Healthy total levels are below 5.0mmol/L, or 4.0mmol/L if you’ve had a heart attack or stroke.
Total cholesterol: HDL cholesterol ratio
This shows how much good cholesterol you have compared to total cholesterol.
The number should be as low as possible and is looked at alongside your other test results.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are another type of fat in your blood which can also cause the build-up of fatty material in your arteries.
Knowing your triglyceride levels can tell you more about your health.
There are two tests:
- Non-fasting triglycerides, shows your normal levels of triglycerides. Results can vary depending on what you ate and drank before the test. Healthy levels are below 2.3mmol/L.
- Fasting triglycerides, shows levels of triglycerides after you’ve been fasting (not eating) for 10 to 14 hours. It’s more accurate than the non-fasting test and is only done if your non-fasting triglycerides result is high. Healthy levels are below 1.7mmol/L.
What are healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels?
This information about cholesterol results is a general guide for cholesterol and triglyceride levels for healthy adults in the UK.
If you have heart disease or diabetes, your target levels will likely be lower as you’re at higher risk of further heart and circulatory diseases.
Here are the healthy levels for different types of cholesterol:
- non-HDL cholesterol, 4mmol/L or below
- HDL cholesterol, 1mmol/L or above for men (who were assigned male at birth), and 1.2mmol/L or above for women (who were assigned female at birth)
- LDL cholesterol, 3mmol/L or below
- total cholesterol, 5mmol/L or below
- fasting triglycerides, 1.7mmol/L or below
- non-fasting triglycerides, 2.3mmol/L or below.
What are healthy levels after a heart attack or stroke?
If you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, you may be at a higher risk of having another. Because of this, the recommended cholesterol levels for you are lower.
Aiming for lower cholesterol levels helps prevent you from having another heart attack or stroke.
Here are the healthy levels after a heart attack or stroke:
- non-HDL cholesterol, 2.6mmol/L or below
- LDL cholesterol, 2mmol/L or below
- total cholesterol, 4mmol/L or below.
More information and support
- Call our Heart Helplinefor help understanding your cholesterol levels.
- Find more information on what it means to have high cholesterol.
- Learn about cholesterol-lowering foodsand find heart healthy recipes.
