Cholesterol Level Converter

Cholesterol levels are reported in two different units depending on your country.

mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) is used in the United States, Canada, and parts of Latin America. mmol/L (millimoles per liter) is used in the UK, Australia, Europe, and most of the rest of the world.

Conversion formula:

• Cholesterol (total, LDL, HDL): mg/dL = mmol/L × 38.67, and mmol/L = mg/dL ÷ 38.67
• Triglycerides: mg/dL = mmol/L × 88.57, and mmol/L = mg/dL ÷ 88.57

The factor 38.67 comes from the molecular weight of cholesterol (386.7 g/mol) divided by 10. Triglycerides use a different factor because their average molecular weight is much larger (about 885.7 g/mol), so pick the right measurement type in the converter below.

Every mmol/L figure in the tables below is the mg/dL figure divided by the factor above, so the boundaries agree with what the converter returns. Some published charts round the two columns with slightly different factors, which puts the thresholds a hundredth apart and can leave a reading looking like it sits just inside a band when it does not.

Total Cholesterol reference ranges:

LDL Cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) reference ranges:

HDL Cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) reference ranges:

Triglycerides reference ranges:

HDL runs backwards, and it catches people out. On every other line of a lipid panel a lower number is better. On HDL it is the opposite: below 40 is the risk factor and 60 or above is protective. Anyone reading their own results for the first time tends to apply the same direction to all four rows and come away worried about the one number that was fine, or reassured about the one that was not. The converter below names the direction along with the band so there is nothing to remember.

The thresholds themselves are not universal either. The 40 and 50 mg/dL HDL split by sex is the US convention; several European guidelines use a single figure. Lipid targets have also tightened over the years, particularly for LDL in people who already have cardiovascular disease, where a specialist may be aiming well below the 100 mg/dL “optimal” line on this page. Treat the tables as the general population reference they are.

Higher HDL is generally better for heart health. Lower LDL reduces risk of cardiovascular disease. These ranges are general guidelines, not a diagnosis, and a single number out of band means far less than the trend across several tests. Discuss your results with your doctor.