The short answer
For most UK adults, healthy levels are total cholesterol of 5 mmol/L or below, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol of 3 or below, non-HDL cholesterol of 4 or below, and HDL (“good”) cholesterol of at least 1.0 for men or 1.2 for women.
What counts as high for you depends on your overall risk of heart attack and stroke, so a result should always be read alongside your blood pressure, age and family history.
Ranges from NHS guidance, checked 2 October 2026
The numbers on your report
| Measure | What it is | Healthy level |
|---|---|---|
| Total cholesterol | All the cholesterol in your blood. On its own it says little. | 5 or below |
| LDL cholesterol | Carries cholesterol into artery walls. The main target of treatment. | 3 or below |
| Non-HDL cholesterol | Total minus HDL: all the harmful types together. Often used to judge how well treatment is working. | 4 or below |
| HDL cholesterol | Carries cholesterol away to the liver. Higher is generally better. | 1.0 or above (men) 1.2 or above (women) |
| Triglycerides | Another blood fat, raised by alcohol, sugar and excess weight. | 2.3 or below |
Which number matters most?
LDL and non-HDL cholesterol carry the most weight, because they measure the particles that build up as plaque in artery walls. A good HDL does not cancel out a high LDL.
Two further tests add detail. Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) counts the particles that carry cholesterol into artery walls. Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a mostly inherited cholesterol particle that raises risk whatever your lifestyle; most people only need it measured once - all now part of the advanced blood analysis.
When does a result need action?
- Treatment depends on your overall risk, not one number. In England, GPs usually estimate your 10-year risk of heart attack or stroke with a tool called QRISK3. NICE recommends offering a statin when that risk is 10% or more, alongside changes to diet and activity.
- Total cholesterol above 7.5 mmol/L, especially with a family history of early heart disease, can point to familial hypercholesterolaemia, an inherited condition that needs specialist assessment.
- Very high triglycerides need prompt medical review, because they can cause inflammation of the pancreas.
Do I need to fast before a cholesterol test?
Usually not. You may be asked to fast if your triglycerides are being measured precisely; your booking confirmation will say if this applies.
What moves the numbers
- Swapping saturated fats (fatty meat, butter, cream) for unsaturated ones (olive oil, nuts, oily fish).
- More fibre, especially oats, beans and pulses.
- Regular activity and, where needed, losing weight.
- Less alcohol, which mainly lowers triglycerides.
- Stopping smoking, which helps raise HDL.
If your risk is high, lifestyle changes usually work alongside medicine rather than instead of it. Statins are the most studied cholesterol-lowering medicine; your GP can talk through benefits and side effects for your level of risk.
How Tomorrow tests cholesterol
Blood analysis is part of every Tomorrow Health Check. Your consultation puts the result next to your blood pressure and body composition and, in Ultimate and Ultimate+, next to live images of your arteries. Those show whether cholesterol has already started to build up as plaque, which changes what is worth doing next.
Clinically reviewed by Mohamed Barkat, FRCS (Vasc), Consultant Vascular & Endovascular Surgeon
How this article was made. Drafted with AI from a clinical brief and the sources below, then checked, corrected and approved by the named clinician. We update it when UK guidance changes.
Sources
- NHS. High cholesterol: cholesterol levels.
- NICE. NG238: Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification (2023).
- NICE. CG71: Familial hypercholesterolaemia: identification and management.
- HEART UK. The cholesterol charity.