According to StatPearls, you should try to keep your cholesterol ratio below 5, with the ideal cholesterol ratio being 3.5. That said, the ideal cholesterol ratios for men and women may differ. The ideal total cholesterol level for an adult is 200 mg/dL or less . Women typically have higher levels of HDL than men.
In general: The higher the ratio, the higher the risk. Most healthcare providers want the ratio to be below 5:1. A ratio below 3.5:1 is considered very good.
Your LDL levels should be around 100 mg/dL. This range helps put you at a low risk of heart disease. Less than 120 mg/dL total cholesterol or an LDL level less than 50 mg/dL is very low.
What's healthy? Government advice has moved away from giving absolute figures, but ideally your cholesterol should be be 5 mmol/L or less, or 4 mmol/L if you're at high risk of CVD, or you have high blood pressure, diabetes or have had a cardiovascular event.
Your LDL cholesterol number is: Optimal if it is less than 2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) Near optimal/above optimal if it is 2.6 – 3.3 mmol/L (100-129 mg/dL) Borderline high if it is 3.4 – 4.1 mmol/L (130-159 mg/dL)
– your total cholesterol level should be below 4 mmol/l – your bad LDL cholesterol level should be below 2 mmol/l – your good HDL cholesterol level should be above 1 mmol/l. If your total cholesterol level is over 4 and your LDL is over 2, this shows that you might be at higher risk of a heart attack or stroke.
According to Michos, an ideal LDL cholesterol level should be less than 70 mg/dl, and a woman's HDL cholesterol level ideally should be close to 50 mg/dl. Triglycerides should be less than 150 mg/dl. As Michos notes, total cholesterol levels well below 200 mg/dl are best.
In general: A total cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dL (5.17 mmol/L) is normal. A total cholesterol level of 200 to 239 mg/dL (5.17 to 6.18 mmol/L) is borderline high. A total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL (6.21 mmol/L) or greater is high.
Total Cholesterol: <4.0 mmol/L (Individuals at high risk) <5.5 mmol/L (General population) Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL): < 1.8mmol/L (Individuals at high risk) < 2.0 mmol/L (General population)
The guidelines for healthy cholesterol levels are as follows: total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL. LDL cholesterol less than 100 mg/dL. HDL cholesterol above 40 mg/dL.
There is no consensus on how to define very low LDL cholesterol, but LDL would be considered very low if it is less than 40 milligrams per deciliter of blood. Although the risks are rare, very low levels of LDL cholesterol may be associated with an increased risk of: Cancer.
An optimal level of non- HDL cholesterol is less than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 3.37 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Higher numbers mean a higher risk of heart disease.
After having their cholesterol tested, seniors should be given a number between 190 and 260. Healthy seniors should keep their total cholesterol below 200 and their LDL cholesterol around 100. If your elderly loved one's LDL cholesterol level is above 160, he or she must start making sweeping lifestyle changes.
The optimal cholesterol ratio is between 3.5 and 1, while a ratio of 5 or below is considered normal. 4 A cholesterol ratio within the normal range means that your cholesterol levels are likely not contributing to cardiac risk.
Types of Cholesterol
Levels of LDL cholesterol higher than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) are linked to an increased risk for ischemic stroke.
A normal total cholesterol level for adults without heart disease is less than 200 mg/dL.
Healthy cholesterol levels for seniors are below 200 mg/dl (total cholesterol), including an HDL (good) cholesterol level of more than 40 mg/dl for men, 50mg/dl for women, and an LDL (bad) cholesterol level of less than 100 mg/dl.
100 – 129 mg/dL is near ideal. 130 – 159 mg/dL is borderline high. 160 – 189 mg/dL is considered high. 190 mg/dL and higher is considered to be very high.
Exercise can improve cholesterol. Moderate physical activity can help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol. With your doctor's OK, work up to at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week or vigorous aerobic activity for 20 minutes three times a week.
Our HEART UK experts say the protective effect of HDL cholesterol appears to reach its maximum at roughly 1.4mmol/L, and higher levels may not provide extra protection. Over 2.3mmol/L, HDL may behave more like LDL cholesterol (or 'bad cholesterol') and raise the risk of disease, according to current research.
For most healthy adults (19 and older), your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL, your LDL less than 100 mg/dL, and your HDL greater than 40 mg/dL. For children (19 and younger), total cholesterol should be less than 170 mg/dL, LDL less than 110 mg/dL, and HDL greater than 45 mg/dL.