LDL Cholesterol optimal range and reference range
Compiled by Alina Radu, founder of Sera, from the published sources below · Last reviewed November 9, 2026
Sera's bands for LDL Cholesterol:
- Optimal 0 – 99 mg/dL (0 – 2.6 mmol/L); sufficient 0 – 129 mg/dL (0 – 3.3 mmol/L); out of range above 129 mg/dL.
Evidence grade: Established clinical threshold. A band edge that corresponds to a recognised diagnostic, risk or treatment threshold from a major clinical guideline or public-health body.
All units
| Unit | Optimal | Sufficient | Out of range |
|---|---|---|---|
| mg/dL | 0 – 99 | 0 – 129 | above 129 |
| mmol/L | 0 – 2.6 | 0 – 3.3 | above 3.3 |
Bounded on the high side only — a low result is not treated as out of range. No evidence-based lower bound; current guidelines set LDL goals as low as 55 mg/dL for people at very high risk.
What the evidence says
The optimal band ends at the widely used figure of less than 100 mg/dL. Current guidance sets LDL goals by overall cardiovascular risk, as low as 55 mg/dL, so read the band as a review aid, not a treatment target. A low LDL is not flagged. The acceptable band's upper edge of 129 mg/dL comes from an older category that current guidelines no longer restate.
Sources
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know — MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2026 · Government / public-health guidanceHealthy adult levels: total cholesterol less than 200 mg/dL, non-HDL less than 130, LDL less than 100, and HDL of 60 or more as best. HDL is low below 40 mg/dL in men and below 50 in women.
- Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia — American College of Cardiology / American Heart Association, 2026 · Clinical guidelineLDL goals set by cardiovascular risk: below 100 mg/dL at borderline or intermediate risk, below 70 at high risk, and below 55 with non-HDL below 85 at very high risk. Replaces the 2018 cholesterol guideline, and is the reason Sera's LDL band is a review aid and not a treatment goal.
- Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III): Executive Summary — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2001 · Clinical guidelineThe origin of the LDL category Sera's acceptable band ends on: near optimal from 100 to 129 mg/dL, borderline high from 130. An older report, since superseded as treatment guidance, and kept only because no current guideline restates this one edge.
What LDL Cholesterol measures
Low-density lipoprotein, often called bad cholesterol.
LDL is often raised when metabolism is out of balance. ApoB gives a more accurate read on heart risk. Sera bands it against functional targets rather than diagnostic thresholds, and guideline targets shift with your overall cardiovascular risk.