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Cholesterol and lipid tests

Explore the individual measurements and calculated figures on a lipid panel.

Explore cholesterol

LDL vs HDL vs triglycerides: what a lipid panel actually measures

The four numbers on every lipid panel, what each one is, and why the ratios printed at the bottom exist.

Total Cholesterol

Reported in mg/dL · mmol/L.

HDL Cholesterol

Reported in mg/dL · mmol/L.

LDL Cholesterol

Reported in mg/dL · mmol/L.

VLDL Cholesterol

Reported in mg/dL · mmol/L.

Triglycerides

Reported in mg/dL · mmol/L.

Non-HDL Cholesterol

Reported in mg/dL · mmol/L.

TC/HDL Ratio

Reported in ratio.

LDL/HDL Ratio

Reported in ratio.

Reading the report

What the H and L flags on a lab report actually assert

A flag compares your number to the range printed beside it on that page — nothing more. What it does not tell you, and why healthy people collect them.

Why the same blood test has different "normal" ranges at different labs

Reference intervals are built from each lab's own population and equipment, which is why two labs can print different ranges for the same sample.

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