According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), doctors test for different types of cholesterol to check if patients have heart disease. The main cholesterol types include low-density lipoprotein or LDL, high-density lipoprotein or HDL and triglycerides.
LDL Cholesterol
According to the NIH, a normal LDL reading should be less than 100 mg/dL. LDL is considered borderline high if it goes above 100 mg/dL. LDL is often called "bad" cholesterol for its artery-clogging properties.
Heart Disease
In 2004, a federal panel of experts released a revised set of cholesterol guidelines for people with heart disease. The LDL target for people with heart disease was reduced to less than 70 mg/dL.
HDL Cholesterol
According to the NIH, normal HDL should generally be above 40 mg/dL. HDL is called "good" cholesterol for its cholesterol-reducing properties.
HDL in Women
Women tend to have higher HDL cholesterol than men. Some expert organizations such as the American Diabetes Association recommend that women have an HDL cholesterol level greater than 50.
Triglycerides
According to the NIH, triglycerides are a type of fat. LDL and HDL are made up of fats and proteins. Triglycerides are made up of fats only. Triglycerides, LDL and HDL make up a total cholesterol test, which is an estimate of all the LDL, HDL and triglycerides in the blood. According to the American Heart Association, a normal triglyceride level should be less than 150 mg/dL.
