Cholesterol Unit Converter (mg/dL ↔ mmol/L)
Cholesterol panels are reported worldwide in two units: mg/dL (US, parts of Asia, many Hong Kong private labs) and mmol/L (UK, EU, Canada, Australia, public-sector HK and most Commonwealth countries). They measure the same molar concentration — only the unit differs. For total cholesterol, LDL and HDL (which share cholesterol's MW of 386.65 g/mol) the conversion factor is 38.67; for triglycerides (triolein, MW 885.4 g/mol) it is 88.57. This tool supports two-way conversion for all four major analytes and shows the NCEP ATP III category beside the value.
Enter a sensible value (mg/dL 0–2000, mmol/L 0–50).
Converted
5.17 mmol/L
200 mg/dL
NCEP ATP III category
Desirable
Total cholesterol (TC = LDL + HDL + 0.2 × TG) is the standard screening number.
Reference scale (mg/dL alongside mmol/L)
—
Formula
TC / LDL / HDL: mmol/L = mg/dL / 38.67 Triglycerides : mmol/L = mg/dL / 88.57
Conversion factors come from molecular weight: cholesterol 386.65 g/mol → 38.67, triglycerides (triolein) 885.4 g/mol → 88.57. The US and parts of Asia report mg/dL; the UK, EU, Canada, Australia and many public-sector labs report mmol/L. Categories follow NCEP ATP III; real cardiovascular risk depends on age, sex, blood pressure, diabetes status and family history (e.g. ASCVD score).
Formula
TC / LDL / HDL: mmol/L = mg/dL / 38.67 Triglycerides : mmol/L = mg/dL / 88.57 Reverse : mg/dL = mmol/L × factor
- · Common landmarks: TC 200 mg/dL ≈ 5.17 mmol/L; LDL 100 mg/dL ≈ 2.59 mmol/L; HDL 40 mg/dL ≈ 1.03 mmol/L; TG 150 mg/dL ≈ 1.69 mmol/L.
- · NCEP ATP III bands for total cholesterol: < 200 mg/dL desirable, 200–239 borderline high, ≥ 240 high. Lower LDL is better; patients with established CHD usually target < 70 mg/dL.
- · HDL is the "higher is better" number: < 40 mg/dL (men) or < 50 mg/dL (women) is low; ≥ 60 mg/dL is considered cardio-protective.
- · Triglycerides swing with diet, alcohol and sugar — a 9–12 h fast is recommended before sampling. Very high TG (≥ 500 mg/dL) raises the risk of acute pancreatitis.
- · Neither mg/dL nor mmol/L is "more accurate" — they measure the same molar concentration. The UK, EU and Canada have standardised on mmol/L; US labs persist with mg/dL.
- · References: NCEP ATP III Final Report (Circulation 106:3143, 2002); ESC/EAS Dyslipidaemia Guidelines (Eur Heart J 41:111, 2020); AHA / ACC Cholesterol Clinical Practice Guideline (Circulation 139:e1082, 2019).
Frequently asked
Why do cholesterol and triglycerides use different conversion factors?
Because the two molecules have different molecular weights. mg/dL ↔ mmol/L = MW / 10 (after aligning g/mol with mg/dL and mmol/L units). Cholesterol C₂₇H₄₆O has MW 386.65 g/mol, so 38.67 mg/dL = 1 mmol/L. Triglycerides are represented by triolein C₅₇H₁₀₄O₆ with MW 885.4 g/mol, hence 88.57 mg/dL = 1 mmol/L. LDL, HDL and total cholesterol are all cholesterol-bearing fractions, so they share the 38.67 factor; triglycerides stand alone. Mass-to-mole conversion always requires the right molecular weight — there is no shortcut.
My Hong Kong panel uses mmol/L but US guidelines quote mg/dL — how do I align the two?
Hong Kong's Hospital Authority always reports in mmol/L; some private labs (Union Lab, HK branches of Quest) print both. US NCEP / AHA / ACC guidance and most American medical web copy uses mg/dL. To compare, pick the lipid type in this tool and enter your mmol/L value — the converter shows the mg/dL equivalent and the NCEP ATP III band. Mental-arithmetic shortcut: mmol/L × 39 ≈ mg/dL for TC / LDL / HDL, mmol/L × 89 ≈ mg/dL for TG. Example: an HK report of LDL 3.4 mmol/L ≈ 131 mg/dL, which lands in the "borderline high" band.
My LDL is high but HDL is also high — does that balance out?
Partially, but you can't cancel out high LDL by adding HDL. LDL remains the chief driver of atherosclerotic plaque; high HDL (≥ 60 mg/dL) is a protective factor but it doesn't erase elevated LDL risk. Clinicians estimate 10-year cardiovascular event risk with the ACC / AHA "ASCVD Risk Estimator Plus", which takes age, sex, race, systolic BP, antihypertensive use, diabetes, smoking, TC and HDL — LDL is only one of many inputs. If your ASCVD risk is ≥ 7.5 % (intermediate or higher) most guidelines recommend considering a statin even with good HDL. This tool only does unit conversion and the simple NCEP banding — it doesn't substitute for a clinician's full risk assessment.
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