Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that occurs in your body in small globules. Your body needs cholesterol, for example as a building block for cells and hormones.

You get a small amount from food. Most of it comes from your liver, which produces cholesterol itself. Usually, this is exactly enough for what your body needs.

Measuring cholesterol

Your cholesterol is measured with a blood test. If the result is high, the doctor will often measure it again, because a high value can also be a spike.

Explanation of total cholesterol (mmol/L)

These are general guidelines for total cholesterol:

• Less than 5.0 → normal
• 5.0 to 6.5 → slightly elevated
• 6.5 to 8.0 → elevated
• 8.0 or higher → significantly elevated

Please note: what is "good" can vary from person to person. The so-called "normal" or reference values are highly dependent on age and gender. To find the "reference" value (average value for healthy individuals) for your age, you can enter your details on the page.

Your doctor will also look at other factors, such as your LDL/HDL ratio and your overall risk.