How to Read My Cholesterol Test Results

In How To Read My Cholesterol Test Results, you will learn how to navigate the numbers and abbreviations found on the doctor's report. Don't be confused by LDL or HDL, bad cholesterol or good cholesterol. Follow these simple explanations to better understand your results.

Things You'll Need

• Your test results
• This article

Instructions

1. Total Cholesterol:
   First number you will encounter on your cholesterol test reults will be for total cholesterol. A healthy level is anything below 200 mg/dl, but even more desireable are results in the range of 150 mg/dl or below.

2. LDL:
   LDL stands for Low Density Lipoproteins and are referred to as bad cholesterol. Anything below 130 mg/dl is considered to be healthy.

3. HDL:
   HDL stands for High Density Lipoproteins and are referred to as good cholesterol. A healthy range for HDL is 40 mg/dl or above.

4. Ratio:
   You will see an item on your results for the ratio of LDL to HDL. This ratio is determined by dividing your HDL (good cholesterol) number into your LDL (bad cholesterol) number. A healthy ratio is 3 to 1 or lower.

5. Total Triglycerides:
   Finally, you will see results for total triglycerides found in your blood. A healthy number is anything 150 mg/dl and below.

Tips & Warnings

• Since you are wondering, mg/dl is simply a term of measurement for blood glucose. It stands for milligrams per deciliter.

• Be sure to see my article for How to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

• Make sure you always review your test results with your doctor or a medical professional.