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What Number Is Considered a High Cholesterol Level?

Total cholesterol levels are a combination of good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol. Since HDL is good cholesterol, it's possible to have higher total cholesterol numbers with normal levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol combined with high HDL (good) cholesterol.

  1. Total Desired Cholesterol

    • Total cholesterol levels under 200 mg/dL is considered a desirable level for most people.

    Borderline High Risk

    • Total cholesterol levels that are between 200 and 239 mg/dL is considered borderline high risk.

    High Risk

    • Total cholesterol levels over 240 mg/dL is considered to be high risk for most individuals.

    LDL Cholesterol

    • For LDL cholesterol levels, 130 to 159 mg/dL is considered "Borderline High," 160 to 189 mg/dL is considered "High," and greater than 190 mg/dL is considered "Very High."

    HDL Cholesterol

    • For HDL cholesterol levels, under 40 mg/dL for men and under 50 mg/dL for women is considered poor, while 60 mg/dL is considered optimal for both men and women.

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