Cholesterol Unit Converter

Q: Is the conversion factor different for triglycerides?

Yes. Total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol all convert using ÷38.67 (cholesterol's molecular weight, ~386.65 g/mol, divided by 10). Triglycerides use a different factor, ÷88.57, because triglyceride molecules have a different average molecular weight (~885.7 g/mol). Using the cholesterol factor on a triglyceride value gives a materially wrong number.

Q: Which unit is used where?

mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) is the standard lab unit in the United States. mmol/L (millimoles per liter) is the SI unit used as the international standard in most other countries, including Canada, the UK, Australia, and across the EU.

Q: Are the reference ranges shown here diagnostic?

No. The reference ranges are shown for context only, based on the NCEP Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) tiers. They are not a diagnosis. Interpretation of any individual lipid panel should come from a physician, who will also weigh your broader cardiovascular risk profile.

Q: What units does this calculator use?

Enter a value in either mg/dL or mmol/L, select the lipid type (Total Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, or Triglycerides), and the calculator instantly shows the equivalent value in the other unit using the correct conversion factor for that lipid type.

Q: Can this calculator diagnose high cholesterol?

No. This tool only converts units and shows standard reference bands for context. It cannot diagnose dyslipidemia, assess cardiovascular risk, or replace a lipid panel interpreted by a physician.

Q: Is this medical advice?

No. This calculator is for educational and reference use only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare provider.

Lipid	Tier	Range
Total Cholesterol	Desirable	<200 mg/dL (<5.2 mmol/L)
Total Cholesterol	Borderline high	200–239 mg/dL (5.2–6.2 mmol/L)
Total Cholesterol	High	≥240 mg/dL (≥6.2 mmol/L)
LDL Cholesterol	Optimal	<100 mg/dL (<2.6 mmol/L)
LDL Cholesterol	Near optimal	100–129 mg/dL (2.6–3.3 mmol/L)
LDL Cholesterol	Borderline high	130–159 mg/dL (3.4–4.1 mmol/L)
LDL Cholesterol	High	160–189 mg/dL (4.1–4.9 mmol/L)
LDL Cholesterol	Very high	≥190 mg/dL (≥4.9 mmol/L)
HDL Cholesterol	Low (increased risk)	<40 mg/dL (<1.0 mmol/L)
HDL Cholesterol	Average	40–59 mg/dL (1.0–1.5 mmol/L)
HDL Cholesterol	High (protective)	≥60 mg/dL (≥1.6 mmol/L)
Triglycerides	Normal	<150 mg/dL (<1.7 mmol/L)
Triglycerides	Borderline high	150–199 mg/dL (1.7–2.2 mmol/L)
Triglycerides	High	200–499 mg/dL (2.3–5.6 mmol/L)
Triglycerides	Very high	≥500 mg/dL (≥5.6 mmol/L)

📋

Walk-through

How to Use This Calculator

3 steps

1

Pick the lipid type

Select which lipid you're converting — Total Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, or Triglycerides. This matters because triglycerides use a different conversion factor than the other three.

2

Enter your value and unit

Type in the number from your lab report and choose whether it's in mg/dL (the US standard) or mmol/L (the international standard). The converted value updates instantly.

3

Read the converted value and reference band

The hero number shows the equivalent value in the other unit. The reference band underneath shows where that value falls on the standard NCEP ATP III lipid tiers — for context only, not a diagnosis.

⚡

Reference

Formula & Methodology

2 formulas

Total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol

mmol/L = mg/dL ÷ 38.67

38.67 comes from cholesterol's molecular weight (~386.65 g/mol) divided by 10. It applies to total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and non-HDL cholesterol alike.

Triglycerides

mmol/L = mg/dL ÷ 88.57

Triglycerides use a different factor because their average molecular weight (~885.7 g/mol) is roughly 2.3× that of cholesterol. Applying the cholesterol factor to a triglyceride value would understate it by more than half.

✓

High YMYL

Trust, Methodology & Sources

Reviewed by Calculover Editorial Team · Updated 2026-07-23 · 2 sources

Editorial accountability

Author: Calculover Editorial Team - Health content team

Owner: Calculover Editorial Team - Health content team

Reviewer: Calculover Editorial Team - Clinical content reviewer

Last reviewed: 2026-07-23

Last verified: 2026-07-23

Data effective: 2026-07-23

Methodology

Converts lipid values between mg/dL and mmol/L using the substance's molar mass divided by 10: 38.67 for total/LDL/HDL cholesterol (molar mass ~386.65 g/mol) and 88.57 for triglycerides (average molar mass ~885.7 g/mol). Reference-range tiers are drawn from the NCEP ATP III Final Report.

Assumption: Assumes the entered value is a single lipid panel result and that the user has correctly identified which lipid type it represents.

Assumption: Reference-range tiers use the NCEP ATP III classification and do not account for individual cardiovascular risk factors such as age, sex, diabetes, or family history.

Limitations & guidance

This tool performs unit conversion and reference-range lookup only — it does not calculate cardiovascular risk or provide a diagnosis.

The NCEP ATP III tiers shown are widely used as a reference point but predate more recent individualized-risk guidance such as the 2018 ACC/AHA cholesterol guideline.

Professional guidance: This calculator is for educational and reference purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your lipid panel results.

Primary sources

Lipid Conversion Factors — NCBI Bookshelf (Endotext)

NCEP Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) Final Report — Circulation, 2002

📖

Glossary

Key Terms Explained

6 terms

Total Cholesterol The sum of all cholesterol carried in the blood — LDL, HDL, and a fraction of the triglyceride-carrying particles (VLDL). Measured in mg/dL in the US and mmol/L internationally.

LDL Cholesterol Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, often called "bad" cholesterol. Higher levels are associated with plaque buildup in arteries, so lower LDL is generally considered more favorable.

HDL Cholesterol High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, often called "good" cholesterol. Unlike the other lipids on this page, a higher HDL level is considered protective rather than a risk factor.

Triglycerides A type of fat circulating in the blood, distinct from cholesterol. Triglycerides convert between mg/dL and mmol/L using a different factor (÷88.57) because of their different molecular weight.

mg/dL Milligrams per deciliter — the standard unit for lipid panel results in the United States.

mmol/L Millimoles per liter — the SI unit used as the international standard for lipid results in most countries outside the US, including Canada, the UK, and Australia.

👥

Scenarios

Real-World Examples

3 worked examples

🧪

Total cholesterol reading

US lab report

Lipid type Total Cholesterol Value 200 mg/dL

200 mg/dL ÷ 38.67 = 5.17 mmol/L, right at the top of the desirable band (<200 mg/dL / <5.2 mmol/L). A patient reading this on an international lab report would see it as 5.2 mmol/L, borderline high by a fraction.

🧪

Triglycerides reading

Different factor in action

Lipid type Triglycerides Value 150 mg/dL

150 mg/dL ÷ 88.57 = 1.69 mmol/L — right at the normal/borderline-high boundary. Using the cholesterol factor by mistake (÷38.67) would incorrectly report 3.88 mmol/L, more than double the true value.

🧪

LDL reading

International lab report

Lipid type LDL Cholesterol Value 3.4 mmol/L

3.4 mmol/L × 38.67 = 131 mg/dL, which lands in the "borderline high" LDL tier (130–159 mg/dL). A US patient comparing this to a domestic lab report would look for a value just above 130 mg/dL.

📄

Deep Dive

Understanding Cholesterol Unit Conversion

3 chapters · 3 min read

Lab reports show cholesterol and triglyceride results in one of two units depending on where you live: mg/dL in the United States, or mmol/L almost everywhere else. Converting between them isn't a single fixed multiplier — it depends on which lipid you're converting, which trips up a lot of people comparing results across countries or older records.

Why cholesterol and triglycerides use different factors

The mg/dL-to-mmol/L conversion is derived from a substance's molar mass: divide the molar mass by 10 to get the conversion factor. Cholesterol's molar mass is about 386.65 g/mol, giving a factor of 38.67. Triglycerides are a different class of molecule with an average molar mass of roughly 885.7 g/mol, giving a factor of 88.57 — more than double. Total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL all share the cholesterol factor because they're all measuring cholesterol content; only triglycerides need the separate factor.

Reading your lipid panel across units

Enter the value exactly as it appears on your lab report, along with its unit, and pick the correct lipid type from the dropdown. The calculator handles the arithmetic and shows the reference band that value falls into using the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) tiers. These tiers are widely used as a starting reference point, but the panel III report itself is over two decades old — more recent guidelines (such as the 2018 ACC/AHA cholesterol guideline) emphasize individualized cardiovascular risk scoring over fixed cutoffs, so treat any single number as one input among several a physician will weigh.

Limits and edge cases

This calculator only converts units and shows reference bands for context — it does not calculate cardiovascular risk, account for age, sex, family history, or other risk factors, and it is not a diagnostic tool. HDL is also the one lipid on this page where a higher number is favorable rather than a warning sign, so don't read its reference band the same way as the other three. If a value looks unusually high or low after conversion, double-check that the correct lipid type was selected before assuming the number itself is wrong.

❓

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

6 questions

Is the conversion factor different for triglycerides?+

Yes. Total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol all convert using ÷38.67 (cholesterol's molecular weight, ~386.65 g/mol, divided by 10). Triglycerides use a different factor, ÷88.57, because triglyceride molecules have a different average molecular weight (~885.7 g/mol). Using the cholesterol factor on a triglyceride value gives a materially wrong number.

Which unit is used where?+

mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) is the standard lab unit in the United States. mmol/L (millimoles per liter) is the SI unit used as the international standard in most other countries, including Canada, the UK, Australia, and across the EU.

Are the reference ranges shown here diagnostic?+

No. The reference ranges are shown for context only, based on the NCEP Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) tiers. They are not a diagnosis. Interpretation of any individual lipid panel should come from a physician, who will also weigh your broader cardiovascular risk profile.

What units does this calculator use?+

Enter a value in either mg/dL or mmol/L, select the lipid type (Total Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, or Triglycerides), and the calculator instantly shows the equivalent value in the other unit using the correct conversion factor for that lipid type.

Can this calculator diagnose high cholesterol?+

No. This tool only converts units and shows standard reference bands for context. It cannot diagnose dyslipidemia, assess cardiovascular risk, or replace a lipid panel interpreted by a physician.

Is this medical advice?+

No. This calculator is for educational and reference use only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare provider.

Download a one-page PDF of your numbers instantly. Add your email to also get our occasional calculator tips — no spam, unsubscribe anytime. Privacy.

Cholesterol Value

Converted Value

Same Number, Different Lipid

Lipid Panel Reference Ranges

How to Use This Calculator

Pick the lipid type

Enter your value and unit

Read the converted value and reference band

Formula & Methodology

Trust, Methodology & Sources

Key Terms Explained

Real-World Examples

Total cholesterol reading

Triglycerides reading

LDL reading

Understanding Cholesterol Unit Conversion

Why cholesterol and triglycerides use different factors

Reading your lipid panel across units

Limits and edge cases

Frequently Asked Questions

Get a branded PDF of your results

Cholesterol Unit Converter

Cholesterol Value

Converted Value

Same Number, Different Lipid

Lipid Panel Reference Ranges

How to Use This Calculator

Pick the lipid type

Enter your value and unit

Read the converted value and reference band

Formula & Methodology

Trust, Methodology & Sources

Key Terms Explained

Real-World Examples

Understanding Cholesterol Unit Conversion

Why cholesterol and triglycerides use different factors

Reading your lipid panel across units

Limits and edge cases

Frequently Asked Questions

Get a branded PDF of your results

Keep Exploring

Related calculators

Guides & articles

Related Calculators