Cholesterol & Lipids — Reference Ranges

The lipid panel measures cholesterol and triglycerides — fats carried in the blood inside particles such as LDL and HDL. Unlike most tests here, lipid results are usually compared with desirable target levels rather than a strict reference range, and they are interpreted alongside overall cardiovascular risk.

This page lists all 9 tests in this group with their typical adult ranges in both unit systems. Open any test for plain-language notes on high and low results and how to prepare.

Print this reference sheet

Test	Abbr.	Typical range (conventional)	Typical range (SI)
Apolipoprotein A1	ApoA1	Male 110–180; Female 120–190 mg/dL	Male 1.10–1.80; Female 1.20–1.90 g/L
Apolipoprotein B	ApoB	Desirable <90 mg/dL	Desirable <0.90 g/L
HDL Cholesterol	HDL-C	Male ≥40; Female ≥50 mg/dL	Male ≥1.03; Female ≥1.29 mmol/L
LDL Cholesterol	LDL-C	Optimal <100 mg/dL	Optimal <2.59 mmol/L
Lipoprotein(a)	Lp(a)	Desirable <30 mg/dL	Desirable <75 nmol/L
Non-HDL Cholesterol	—	Desirable <130 mg/dL	Desirable <3.37 mmol/L
Total Cholesterol	—	Desirable <200 mg/dL	Desirable <5.17 mmol/L
Triglycerides	TG	Desirable <150 mg/dL	Desirable <1.69 mmol/L
VLDL Cholesterol	VLDL-C	5–40 mg/dL	0.13–1.04 mmol/L

Full, always-updated version of this sheet: https://www.medicalvideos.com/lab-values/panel/lipids/
Printed from MedicalVideos.com Lab Values. Educational reference only — not medical advice.

Please note: Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and between the methods and instruments they use — the range printed on your own report is the one your result should be compared with. A result outside the range is not by itself a diagnosis, and a result inside it does not rule out illness. These pages are an educational summary, not medical advice: always discuss your results with the clinician who ordered them, who can interpret them in the context of your health and history.

Cholesterol & Lipids — Reference Ranges

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