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Lipids
HDL cholesterol (HDL-C)
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This is the date the draft was written, not a medical review date.
HDL cholesterol is inversely associated with cardiovascular risk at population level, but raising it pharmacologically has not been shown to reduce events. It is a risk-assessment component, not a treatment target.
Reference interval
| Conventional (mg/dL) | SI (mmol/L) | |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 40–60 mg/dL | 1.03–1.55 mmol/L |
| Women | 50–80 mg/dL | 1.29–2.07 mmol/L |
Specimen: Serum or plasma · Conventional × 0.0259 = SI
Causes of high values
Genetic variants (for example CETP deficiency), moderate alcohol intake, regular exercise, oestrogens, and some drugs (fibrates, niacin). Very high values are not necessarily protective.
Causes of low values
Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridaemia, obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, type 2 diabetes, anabolic steroids and genetic disorders (Tangier disease, LCAT deficiency).
Pre-analytical and method notes
HDL-C has no upper normal limit; the usual thresholds are lower limits (below 40 mg/dL / 1.0 mmol/L in men and below 50 mg/dL / 1.3 mmol/L in women are considered low), so the upper values shown are illustrative. Values differ by assay and laboratory; fasting is not required.
References
- 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. American Heart Association / American College of Cardiology (2018) — Tier 2 (guidelines / primary literature)
- 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: lipid modification to reduce cardiovascular risk. European Society of Cardiology / European Atherosclerosis Society (2019) — Tier 2 (guidelines / primary literature)
- Rifai N, Horvath AR, Wittwer CT. Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics. Elsevier, 6th edition (2018) — Tier 3 (textbook)
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