What do the results of a cholesterol test mean? How do patients interpret each value?

The results of a cholesterol test show the level of cholesterol in your body. The cholesterol level will be measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood(mg/dL). The higher the patient's total cholesterol is the higher they are at risk of getting coronary heart disease.For LDL the lower the patient's result levels then they at a lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke. For HDL the lower the levels are the higher the patient is at risk for getting cardiovascular disease. Patients should interpret each value in each category differently because the results all have different meanings.

Total cholesterol	What they mean	LDL levels	What they mean	HDL levels	What they mean
Below 200 mg/dL	desirable	Less than 100 mg/dL	optimal	60 mg/dL and above	desirable
200-239 mg/dL	Borderline high	130-159 mg/dL	Borderline high	Less than 50 mg/dL	Very high (for women)
240 mg/dL and above	High cholesterol	190 mg/dL and above	Very high	Less than 40 mg/dL	Very high (for men)

References: "What Do the Results Of A Cholesterol Test Mean? How Do Patients Interpret Each Value? - What Is Cholesterol?" Google Sites. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.