AumniVIDA

What is a normal LDL cholesterol level?

Updated October 31, 2026 · 14 sources · Written by the AumniVIDA team

Units

Short answer

For adults, LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) is optimal, 130 to 159 mg/dL (3.4 to 4.1 mmol/L)3.4 to 4.1 mmol/L (130 to 159 mg/dL) is borderline high and 190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L)4.9 mmol/L (190 mg/dL) or more is very high. For children, below 110 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L)2.8 mmol/L (110 mg/dL) is acceptable. People at higher cardiovascular risk have lower goals: below 70 or 55 mg/dL.

LDL cholesterol categories and guideline goals, in mg/dL

OptimalNear optimalHighVery highOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLOptimal: 0 to 100 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLNear optimal: 100 to 130 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLBorderline high: 130 to 160 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLHigh: 160 to 190 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dLVery high: 190 to 220 mg/dL00401ESC/EAS: recurrent event within 2 years: 40 mg/dL551.4ESC/EAS and ACC/AHA 2026: very high risk: 55 mg/dL701.8High risk (both guidelines): 70 mg/dL1002.6Moderate or intermediate risk: 100 mg/dL1163ESC/EAS: low risk: 116 mg/dL1904.9Severe: high-intensity statin advised: 190 mg/dL220 mg/dL5.7 mmol/L
Optimal
00 to 1002.6
Near optimal
1002.6 to 1303.4
Borderline high
1303.4 to 1604.1
High
1604.1 to 1904.9
Very high
1904.9 to 2205.7
  • 40 mg/dL1 mmol/L: ESC/EAS: recurrent event within 2 years
  • 55 mg/dL1.4 mmol/L: ESC/EAS and ACC/AHA 2026: very high risk
  • 70 mg/dL1.8 mmol/L: High risk (both guidelines)
  • 100 mg/dL2.6 mmol/L: Moderate or intermediate risk
  • 116 mg/dL3 mmol/L: ESC/EAS: low risk
  • 190 mg/dL4.9 mmol/L: Severe: high-intensity statin advised
The colored bands are the general population categories most labs still print. The ticks are the treatment goals guidelines set for people at different levels of cardiovascular risk, which sit well below the population bands. Divide by 38.67 for mmol/L.

Key takeaways

  1. 1

    Lab categories for adults date from 2002: optimal below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL), very high at 190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L)4.9 mmol/L (190 mg/dL) or more [1].

  2. 2

    Treatment goals are lower and depend on risk: below 100, 70 or 55 mg/dL (2.6, 1.8 or 1.4 mmol/L) [2].

  3. 3

    Children have their own cut points: below 110 mg/dL acceptable and 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L)3.4 mmol/L (130 mg/dL) or more high [3].

  4. 4

    Adult goals do not change with age, but LDL-C in women rises around menopause [4].

What are normal LDL cholesterol levels for adults?

Most lab reports use the 2002 US adult categories: below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) optimal, 100 to 129 near optimal, 130 to 159 borderline high, 160 to 189 high and 190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L)4.9 mmol/L (190 mg/dL) or more very high.

These categories describe the general population. They are not personal goals: a person with heart disease and an "optimal" 95 mg/dL is still above the European and US goals for their risk [2].

Some labs flag results against a single cut point instead. For non-fasting samples, a European consensus suggests flagging LDL-C of 115 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L)3.0 mmol/L (115 mg/dL) or more [5].

In mmol/L, divide the mg/dL value by 38.67. A UK or European report showing 3.0 mmol/L equals about 116 mg/dL.

Adult LDL-C categories in mg/dL and mmol/L [1]
Categorymg/dLmmol/L
OptimalBelow 100Below 2.6
Near or above optimal100 to 1292.6 to 3.3
Borderline high130 to 1593.4 to 4.1
High160 to 1894.1 to 4.9
Very high190 or more4.9 or more

What do LDL cholesterol guidelines recommend in 2026?

The 2026 ACC/AHA guideline sets LDL-C goals of below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) at borderline or intermediate risk, below 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L)1.8 mmol/L (70 mg/dL) at high risk and below 55 mg/dL (1.4 mmol/L)1.4 mmol/L (55 mg/dL) at very high risk. European goals are the same, plus below 116 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L)3.0 mmol/L (116 mg/dL) at low risk.

The US guideline estimates 10-year risk with the PREVENT calculator: 3% to under 10% is borderline or intermediate, 10% or more is high [6] [2]. A coronary calcium score of 1,000 or more also points to the 55 mg/dL goal [2].

The European guideline kept its 2019 goals in the 2025 update. It adds a goal of below 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L)1.0 mmol/L (40 mg/dL) that may be considered after a second event within two years [7] [8].

The LDL hub has the full three-guideline table.

What is the normal LDL cholesterol range by age?

Adult LDL categories and goals do not change with age. LDL-C tends to rise through adulthood, and in women it rises sharply within about a year of the final menstrual period.

Searches for ranges "by age 50" or "by age 65" often find tables of population averages. Averages describe what is common, not what is healthy. Guidelines set the same LDL-C categories for every adult and adjust the goal for risk, which itself rises with age.

Women. In the SWAN study of 1,054 women, LDL-C, total cholesterol and apoB rose sharply within the year before and after the final menstrual period, more than age alone explained [4].

Older adults. Statin benefits per mmol/L of LDL lowered were similar across the types of patient studied in the CTT trials [9]. Very old adults are underrepresented in trials, so decisions after 75 lean more on individual judgment.

Young adults. The US pediatric panel gives cut points for ages 20 to 24 of below 120 mg/dL (3.1 mmol/L)3.1 mmol/L (120 mg/dL) acceptable and 160 mg/dL (4.1 mmol/L)4.1 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) or more high [3].

What is a normal LDL cholesterol level for children?

For children and teenagers, LDL-C below 110 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L)2.8 mmol/L (110 mg/dL) is acceptable, 110 to 129 mg/dL is borderline and 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L)3.4 mmol/L (130 mg/dL) or more is high. US experts recommend screening all children at 9 to 11 years and again at 17 to 21.

The NHLBI expert panel set these cut points at roughly the 75th and 95th percentiles of childhood values [3]. Non-fasting non-HDL cholesterol can be used for the first screen.

Childhood screening aims mainly to find familial hypercholesterolemia, which affects about 1 in 313 people and raises LDL from birth [10]. A European consensus advises family screening when a child has total cholesterol of 230 mg/dL (6 mmol/L)6 mmol/L (230 mg/dL) or more [11].

LDL-C cut points for young people in mg/dL (mmol/L) [3]
Age groupAcceptableBorderlineHigh
Children and adolescents (under 20)Below 110 (2.8)110 to 129 (2.8 to 3.3)130 or more (3.4)
Young adults (20 to 24)Below 120 (3.1)120 to 159 (3.1 to 4.1)160 or more (4.1)

LDL cholesterol cut points for children and teenagers, in mg/dL

AcceptableHighAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLBorderline: 110 to 130 mg/dLBorderline: 110 to 130 mg/dLBorderline: 110 to 130 mg/dLBorderline: 110 to 130 mg/dLBorderline: 110 to 130 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLAcceptable: 0 to 110 mg/dLBorderline: 110 to 130 mg/dLBorderline: 110 to 130 mg/dLBorderline: 110 to 130 mg/dLBorderline: 110 to 130 mg/dLBorderline: 110 to 130 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dLHigh: 130 to 200 mg/dL001303.4High for under 20s: 130 mg/dL1604.1High for ages 20 to 24: 160 mg/dL200 mg/dL5.2 mmol/L
Acceptable
00 to 1102.8
Borderline
1102.8 to 1303.4
High
1303.4 to 2005.2
  • 130 mg/dL3.4 mmol/L: High for under 20s
  • 160 mg/dL4.1 mmol/L: High for ages 20 to 24
Children have their own LDL cut points, set lower than adult categories. A result of 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L) or more counts as high before age 20.

Why do lab ranges and guideline goals give different numbers?

Lab ranges describe the general population, while guideline goals describe where treatment should aim for a person with a known level of risk. A result printed as normal can still be above your goal.

Most US labs still print the 2002 categories, in which anything below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) is optimal [1]. Some European labs flag a single value instead, such as 115 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L)3.0 mmol/L (115 mg/dL) for non-fasting samples [5].

Guideline goals came later and use trial evidence that lower LDL keeps helping. For someone with heart disease, 95 mg/dL is optimal on the lab report yet well above the 55 mg/dL goal [2].

Lab reports may also use a different equation from one visit to the next. Friedewald, Martin-Hopkins and Sampson-NIH can give values that differ by several mg/dL from the same sample, most when triglycerides are high [12]. Check the method before comparing two results.

Should LDL cholesterol be high or low?

Lower is better for the arteries. Trials found fewer heart attacks and strokes the lower LDL-C went, down to below 20 mg/dL (0.5 mmol/L)0.5 mmol/L (20 mg/dL), with no safety threshold found so far.

In the CTT meta-analysis, each 39 mg/dL (1 mmol/L)1 mmol/L (39 mg/dL) lower LDL-C cut major vascular events by about 22%, even in people who started below 2 mmol/L [9]. In FOURIER and its extension, the lowest achieved levels had the fewest events, with no rise in cancer, hemorrhagic stroke or cognitive problems [13] [14].

That does not mean everyone needs a very low LDL. How hard to push depends on overall risk, which is why goals differ by risk category. See can LDL be too low for what is and is not known.

More about LDL cholesterol

Protocols that act on LDL cholesterol

Common questions

Is an LDL cholesterol of 130 bad?

At 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L)3.4 mmol/L (130 mg/dL), LDL-C is in the borderline high adult category [1]. Whether it needs treatment depends on your overall cardiovascular risk [2].

Is an LDL of 100 good?

Below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) is optimal for the general population [1] and is the goal for moderate or intermediate risk. People at high risk aim for below 70 mg/dL [7].

What is a normal LDL in mmol/L?

Below 2.6 mmol/L is optimal and 4.9 mmol/L or more is very high [1]. European goals run from below 3.0 mmol/L at low risk to below 1.4 mmol/L at very high risk [7].

Is the normal LDL range different for women and men?

The categories are the same for women and men [1]. Women's LDL-C tends to rise around menopause [4].

What is the optimal LDL cholesterol level?

For the general population, optimal is below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) [1]. For people at very high risk, guidelines aim for below 55 mg/dL (1.4 mmol/L)1.4 mmol/L (55 mg/dL) [6].

Sources

  1. 1.National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel. Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) final report. Circulation, 2002. PubMed 12485966
  2. 2.Sabouret P, Mafrica D, Giamundo DM, et al. The 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guideline: A Critical and Transatlantic Perspective on Personalized Lipid Management. Life (Basel), 2026. doi:10.3390/life16091470
  3. 3.Expert Panel on Integrated Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction in Children and Adolescents, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Expert panel on integrated guidelines for cardiovascular health and risk reduction in children and adolescents: summary report. Pediatrics, 2011. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-2107C
  4. 4.Matthews KA, Crawford SL, Chae CU, et al. Are changes in cardiovascular disease risk factors in midlife women due to chronological aging or to the menopausal transition?. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2009. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2009.10.009
  5. 5.Nordestgaard BG, Langsted A, Mora S, et al. Fasting is not routinely required for determination of a lipid profile: clinical and laboratory implications including flagging at desirable concentration cut-points-a joint consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society and European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. Eur Heart J, 2016. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehw152
  6. 6.Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M, et al. 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation, 2026. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423
  7. 7.Mach F, Baigent C, Catapano AL, et al. 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: lipid modification to reduce cardiovascular risk. Eur Heart J, 2020. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehz455
  8. 8.Mach F, Koskinas KC, Roeters van Lennep JE, et al. 2025 Focused Update of the 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias. Eur Heart J, 2025. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf190
  9. 9.Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' (CTT) Collaboration, Baigent C, Blackwell L, et al. Efficacy and safety of more intensive lowering of LDL cholesterol: a meta-analysis of data from 170,000 participants in 26 randomised trials. Lancet, 2010. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61350-5
  10. 10.Beheshti SO, Madsen CM, Varbo A, Nordestgaard BG. Worldwide Prevalence of Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Meta-Analyses of 11 Million Subjects. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2020. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2020.03.057
  11. 11.Nordestgaard BG, Chapman MJ, Humphries SE, et al. Familial hypercholesterolaemia is underdiagnosed and undertreated in the general population: guidance for clinicians to prevent coronary heart disease: consensus statement of the European Atherosclerosis Society. Eur Heart J, 2013. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/eht273
  12. 12.Park J, Fan L, Marzinke MA, et al. Development and Validation of a Simplified Martin-Hopkins LDL-C Equation Using Machine Learning. JAMA Cardiol, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2026.2314
  13. 13.Giugliano RP, Pedersen TR, Park JG, et al. Clinical efficacy and safety of achieving very low LDL-cholesterol concentrations with the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab: a prespecified secondary analysis of the FOURIER trial. Lancet, 2017. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32290-0
  14. 14.Gaba P, O'Donoghue ML, Park JG, et al. Association Between Achieved Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and Long-Term Cardiovascular and Safety Outcomes: An Analysis of FOURIER-OLE. Circulation, 2023. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.063399

AumniVIDA explains health data for general wellness. Talk to your clinician about your own results, medication and diagnosis.

Track your LDL cholesterol over time.

Bring every lab report into one history, compare results with your own baseline, and ask the coach what changed. Join the iPhone beta.

Join the iPhone beta. We send TestFlight invitations in batches.