Cholesterol Unit Converter
Convert cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose between mg/dL and mmol/L
| Range | Value |
|---|---|
| Optimal | Below 100 mg/dL (below 2.59 mmol/L) |
| Near optimal | 100–129 mg/dL (2.59–3.34 mmol/L) |
| Borderline high (you) | 130–159 mg/dL (3.36–4.11 mmol/L) |
| High | 160–189 mg/dL (4.14–4.89 mmol/L) |
| Very high | 190 mg/dL and above (4.91 mmol/L and above) |
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For general information only, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or a qualified professional about your health. Terms of use
How to Use
- Under What are you converting?, pick the line from your report: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides or blood glucose.
- Choose the direction: mg/dL → mmol/L or mmol/L → mg/dL.
- Type the value from your lab report. The converted value appears as you type.
- Check the general range it falls in and the reference table below, which lists every range in both units. Take your full report to your doctor for advice on your own targets.
Two units for the same blood test
Most labs in India report cholesterol and blood sugar in mg/dL (milligrams per decilitre). Reports from the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia use mmol/L (millimoles per litre). If a relative abroad sends you their lipid profile, or you're comparing an Indian report with an online chart, you need a cholesterol unit converter. This one handles total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides and fasting blood glucose in both directions.
The conversion factors
Triglycerides: mmol/L = mg/dL × 0.01129
Glucose: mmol/L = mg/dL × 0.0555
To go back to mg/dL, divide by the same factor.
The factors differ because mmol counts molecules, and a triglyceride molecule weighs more than a cholesterol molecule, which weighs more than glucose. Worked example: a total cholesterol of 220 mg/dL is 220 × 0.02586 = 5.69 mmol/L. A triglyceride level of 2.3 mmol/L is 2.3 ÷ 0.01129 = 204 mg/dL.
General reference ranges
The table uses the US National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) categories, which many Indian lab reports still print next to the result.
| Test | Desirable | Borderline | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total cholesterol | Below 200 mg/dL (5.17) | 200–239 (5.17–6.18) | 240 and above (6.21) |
| LDL | Below 100 optimal (2.59); 100–129 near optimal | 130–159 (3.36–4.11) | 160–189 high; 190+ very high (4.91) |
| HDL | 60 and above (1.55) | 40–59 (1.03–1.53) | Below 40 is low (1.03) |
| Triglycerides | Below 150 (1.69) | 150–199 (1.69–2.25) | 200–499 high; 500+ very high (5.64) |
| Fasting glucose | 70–99 (3.9–5.5) | 100–125 (5.6–6.9) | 126 and above (7.0) |
Figures in brackets are mmol/L. For fasting glucose the ranges follow the American Diabetes Association; ICMR's 2018 guidelines start prediabetes at 110 mg/dL instead of 100. For HDL, the metabolic syndrome definition counts below 50 mg/dL as low for women.
Why your doctor may set a lower target
These ranges describe the general population. Your own LDL target depends on your overall risk: age, diabetes, blood pressure, smoking, family history and any previous heart attack or stroke. Indians tend to get heart disease younger than people in the West, and the Lipid Association of India recommends stricter LDL goals for people at higher risk. Someone with diabetes may be asked to keep LDL well below 100 mg/dL, and someone who has had a heart attack lower still. Ask your doctor what your numbers should be.
Reading a lipid report
- Many reports show LDL as "calculated" (Friedewald formula). It becomes unreliable when triglycerides are very high; a direct LDL test is better then.
- Non-HDL cholesterol (total minus HDL) is printed on many reports and is a useful extra marker.
- One reading isn't a verdict. Illness, recent heavy meals and some medicines can shift the numbers.