Cholesterol and Triglyceride Unit Conversion

This tool allows you to conveniently convert cholesterol measurements between milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and millimoles per litre (mmol/L), two common units used in various parts of the world to express blood cholesterol levels. In many countries, including the United States, cholesterol levels are usually measured in mg/dL. In contrast, countries that use the metric system, such as Canada, Australia and most European countries, commonly use mmol/L.

To convert Total cholesterol, LDL and HDL from mg/dL to mmol/L, divide the value in mg/dL by 38.67. To convert from mmol/L to mg/dL, multiply the value in mmol/L by 38.67.

To convert Triglyceride values from mg/dL to mmol/L, divide the value in mg/dL by 88.57. To convert from mmol/L to mg/dL, multiply the value in mmol/L by 88.57.

Lipid Unit Converter

Cholesterol · LDL · HDL

Conversion factor: 1 mmol/L = 38.67 mg/dL

mmol/L

⇄

mg/dL

Total Cholesterol LDL-C HDL-C

Triglycerides

Conversion factor: 1 mmol/L = 88.57 mg/dL

mmol/L

⇄

mg/dL

Triglycerides

Lipid Targets by Cardiovascular Risk Category

Lowering LDL-cholesterol remains the cornerstone of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevention. The intensity of lipid-lowering therapy should match the patient's overall cardiovascular risk — the higher the risk, the more aggressive the target. While LDL-C is the primary treatment target across all major guidelines, secondary markers such as ApoB and non-HDL-C provide additional insight into atherogenic burden, particularly in patients with elevated triglycerides, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome where LDL-C may underestimate risk.

Two major guideline frameworks inform clinical practice. The ESC/EAS Guidelines (2019, reaffirmed in the 2021 ESC Prevention Guidelines and the 2025 Focused Update) define explicit LDL-C goals for each risk category along with secondary targets for ApoB and non-HDL-C. The ACC/AHA 2018 Guideline takes a different approach, using percentage LDL-C reduction thresholds and LDL-C levels to guide the addition of non-statin therapies rather than fixed numeric goals. Despite these differences in approach, both guidelines agree on the fundamental principle: the higher the risk, the greater the benefit of more intensive LDL-C lowering. The 2025 ESC Focused Update also introduced a new Extreme Risk category for patients with recurrent vascular events despite maximally tolerated therapy.

Risk is estimated using the SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP calculators in ESC guidelines (replacing the original SCORE) and the Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) in ACC/AHA guidelines. Additional risk modifiers — including elevated Lp(a), coronary artery calcium score, South Asian ethnicity, chronic inflammatory conditions, and family history of premature ASCVD — may reclassify individuals into a higher risk category. Select a risk category below to see the applicable lipid targets.

Select Cardiovascular Risk Category

Based on ESC/EAS 2019/2025 and ACC/AHA 2018 risk stratification

ESC: SCORE2 <1% 10-year risk of fatal CVD. ACC/AHA: 10-year ASCVD risk <5% by Pooled Cohort Equations. These individuals generally require lifestyle modification only.

ESC: SCORE2 1–4%. Includes young T1DM (<35 y) or T2DM (<50 y) without additional risk factors. ACC/AHA: Borderline (5–7.4%) to intermediate risk (7.5–19.9%). Shared decision-making is emphasised for statin initiation.

ESC: SCORE2 5–9%. Also: markedly elevated single risk factor (TC >8 mmol/L, LDL-C >4.9 mmol/L, or BP ≥180/110), FH without other major risk factors, DM >10 y or with additional risk factor, moderate CKD (eGFR 30–59). ACC/AHA: 10-year ASCVD risk ≥20%; also diabetes with risk enhancers.

ESC: Documented ASCVD (clinical or imaging), SCORE2 ≥10%, DM with end-organ damage or ≥3 major risk factors, severe CKD (eGFR <30), FH with ASCVD or another major risk factor. ACC/AHA: Clinical ASCVD with multiple high-risk features (recent ACS, prior MI, multivessel CAD, polyvascular disease).

ESC 2025 Focused Update (new category): Patients with ASCVD who experience recurrent vascular events despite maximally tolerated statin therapy, or those with polyvascular disease (atherosclerosis in multiple arterial beds). This is the most aggressive treatment category in current guidelines. ACC/AHA: No direct equivalent; the ACC/AHA "very high-risk ASCVD" group overlaps and uses an LDL-C threshold of ≥70 mg/dL for adding ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors.

LDL-Cholesterol

Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)

Non-HDL Cholesterol

Triglycerides

HDL-Cholesterol

Lipoprotein(a) — Lp(a)

Total Cholesterol — General Reference

Classification	mmol/L	mg/dL
Desirable	<5.2	<200
Borderline high	5.2–6.1	200–239
High	≥6.2	≥240
Suggestive of FH (ESC)	>8.0	>310

References

Mach F, et al. 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias. Eur Heart J. 2020;41(1):111–188.
Visseren FLJ, et al. 2021 ESC Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. Eur Heart J. 2021;42(34):3227–3337.
Mach F, Koskinas KC, et al. 2025 Focused Update of the 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias. Eur Heart J. 2025.
Grundy SM, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/Multisociety Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. Circulation. 2019;139(25):e1082–e1143.
Lloyd-Jones DM, et al. 2022 ACC Expert Consensus on Nonstatin Therapies for LDL-C Lowering. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;80:1366–1418.