LDL cholesterol
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
LDL carries cholesterol from the liver to the tissues. It is the lipid value most closely tied to cardiovascular risk, and the target depends on your overall risk rather than a single cut-off.
Reference range
mg/dL- Women
- under 116 mg/dL
- Men
- under 116 mg/dL
Reference ranges differ between laboratories and assays. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.
What LDL cholesterol measures
Cholesterol does not dissolve in blood, so it travels wrapped in lipoproteins. LDL is the particle that carries it outward from the liver to the rest of the body — necessary work, since every cell membrane needs cholesterol.
The problem is what happens when LDL particles lodge in an artery wall. There they can oxidise and trigger an inflammatory response, and that process is the beginning of atherosclerotic plaque. More circulating LDL means more opportunities for it.
This is why 'bad cholesterol' is a shorthand worth resisting. LDL is not a toxin; the risk lies in how much of it is in circulation over decades, and in what other risk factors accompany it.
Why it gets tested
As part of cardiovascular risk assessment, in family screening for inherited lipid disorders, and to monitor the effect of dietary changes or lipid-lowering treatment.
Commonly associated with low values
- Usually favourable from a cardiovascular standpoint
- Occasionally an overactive thyroid, malabsorption or liver disease
Commonly associated with high values
- Dietary pattern, particularly saturated fat intake
- Familial hypercholesterolaemia, an inherited condition that is substantially underdiagnosed
- An underactive thyroid, which raises LDL and normalises once treated
- Kidney disease, or certain medications
What can shift the result
- Most laboratories calculate LDL rather than measuring it, and the calculation is less reliable when triglycerides are high
- Fasting is no longer required for a standard lipid panel in most guidelines
- Acute illness or recent surgery can lower LDL for weeks
Questions
Is there a single target LDL value?
No. Guidelines set targets according to overall cardiovascular risk, so someone who has already had a heart attack is given a much lower target than someone with no risk factors. A laboratory reference range is a population average, not a personal target, and the target is a decision for your doctor.
Do I need to fast before a cholesterol test?
Usually not. European and American guidelines both accept non-fasting lipid panels for routine assessment, because the difference is small for LDL. Fasting is still requested when triglycerides are the main question or when a previous non-fasting result was unclear.
Have your LDL cholesterol result in front of you?
Upload the report and see every value in its reference range, not just this one. No account needed.
Analyze my lab reportOften measured alongside
This page is general information about a laboratory value. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace medical advice. Discuss your own results with a doctor, who can read them in the context of your history and symptoms.