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Non-HDL Cholesterol - description and reference ranges

What is it?

Non-HDL Cholesterol is the total cholesterol minus your HDL. It does not quite equal to LDL (bad cholesterol) as it also included other types of cholesterol, such as very low density lipoprotein (VLDC).

Reference ranges

If your indicative HDL level is lower than the reference range for our laboratory:

Lower "bad" cholesterol is generally better than higher "bad" cholesterol, but in rare cases having a very low levels of total cholesterol has been associated with some health problems.

Doctors are still trying to find out more about the connection between low non-HDL/total cholesterol and health risks. There is no consensus.

Speak to you GP if you are concerned.

If your indicative non-HDL level is higher than the reference range for our laboratory:

Your doctor can use this figure, in conjunction with your other cholesterol results and a range of other elements of your medical history, to calculate your risk of heart attacks and strokes and determine whether or not you need treatment for your cholesterol levels.

If your non-HDL cholesterol is high, you may be at a higher risk of developing atherosclerosis and having chest pain (angina), a heart attack or a stroke.

What causes high cholesterol: diet of excessive saturated fat, smoking, alcohol, lack of exercise or physical activity, some genetic conditions as well as hereditary factors.

Please discuss this result with your GP.

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