Normal Cholesterol Levels UK: Chart & What They Mean

For most healthy adults in the UK, normal cholesterol levels mean a total cholesterol below 5mmol/L, non-HDL ("bad") cholesterol below 4mmol/L, and HDL ("good") cholesterol above 1.0mmol/L for men or above 1.2mmol/L for women. Those are the healthy levels the NHS uses, and they're the numbers most GP results letters are measured against.

But a single "normal" number only tells part of the story. What counts as a good level for you depends on your age, your other health conditions and your overall risk of heart and circulation problems. Below, we go through each number on a UK cholesterol test, what's considered healthy, why a result slightly over 5 isn't automatically a cause for alarm, and how weight, food and activity fit in.

Normal cholesterol levels in the UK: the chart

Here are the healthy levels for adults, combining the NHS guide to cholesterol levels with the extra measurements listed by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Two things are worth knowing about this table. First, the NHS describes these as a guide for healthy adults, and notes that being ill, taking some medicines or having recently had a baby can push levels up or down. Second, these are not personal targets. If you've already had a heart attack or stroke, for example, the BHF lists lower levels to aim for: total cholesterol of 4mmol/L or below, non-HDL of 2.6mmol/L or below and LDL of 2mmol/L or below.

mmol/L vs mg/dL

If you've searched for cholesterol levels and found numbers like 200 or 130, you've landed on a US website. The US reports cholesterol in milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL), while UK labs use mmol/L. The two scales aren't interchangeable, so always compare your result with UK ranges like the ones above.

What each cholesterol number means

Cholesterol is a fatty substance your body needs to build cells and make hormones. It travels around your blood attached to proteins, and the type of protein carrier is what makes it "good" or "bad".

Total cholesterol

This is the headline figure on most results. It's useful as a quick screen, but on its own it can mislead, because it lumps the protective HDL in with the harmful types. Someone with a total of 5.4mmol/L and a high HDL may be at lower risk than someone with a total of 4.8mmol/L and a low HDL.

Non-HDL cholesterol

Non-HDL is simply your total cholesterol minus your HDL. It captures all of the cholesterol carried by particles that can build up in artery walls, which is why it's often a more useful number than total cholesterol. The NHS healthy level is below 4mmol/L.

LDL cholesterol

LDL (low-density lipoprotein) carries cholesterol to your cells. When there's too much of it, it can be deposited in the walls of your arteries, narrowing them over time. The BHF suggests 3mmol/L or below for most adults.

HDL cholesterol

HDL (high-density lipoprotein) carries cholesterol away from your cells and back to the liver to be broken down, so higher is generally better. The NHS suggests above 1.0mmol/L for men and above 1.2mmol/L for women.

Cholesterol ratio

Some results show a total cholesterol to HDL ratio. The BHF explains that this shows how much good cholesterol you have compared with your total, and that the number should be as low as possible. It's looked at alongside your other results rather than as a pass or fail on its own.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a different type of blood fat. The BHF lists a healthy non-fasting level of 2.3mmol/L or below. A fasting test is usually only arranged if a non-fasting result comes back high.

How common is high cholesterol in the UK?

Very. In the Health Survey for England 2021, 59% of adults had raised total cholesterol, defined as 5mmol/L or above. It was most common in people aged 45 to 64, at 72%, and 77% of women in that age group had raised levels.

That figure surprises a lot of people, but it's a useful reality check. A result just above 5 puts you in the majority, not in a danger zone. It's a prompt to look at your overall risk, not a diagnosis of heart disease.

Why your target may be different

The NHS is clear that what counts as a good level for you depends on things like your age, whether you have any health conditions and your risk of cardiovascular disease. To weigh all of that up, your GP may give you a QRISK score, which estimates how likely you are to have a heart or circulation problem over the next 10 years.

QRISK combines your cholesterol result with other risk factors, which is why two people with an identical cholesterol result can be given quite different advice. National guidance on risk assessment and lowering cholesterol is set out in NICE guideline NG238.

What causes high cholesterol?

According to the NHS, you're more likely to have high cholesterol if you're over 50, a man, have been through the menopause, or are of South Asian or sub-Saharan African origin, and it can run in families. It can also be caused by:

• Eating a lot of fatty food
• Not exercising enough
• Being overweight
• Smoking
• Drinking alcohol

Some of these you can't change. Others you can, and weight is one of them. If you've had a recent HbA1c test as well, our guide to the HbA1c normal range in the UK explains how to read it, and our explainer on type 1 vs type 2 diabetes covers how weight affects type 2 risk. For the bigger picture on weight across the country, see our UK obesity statistics.

Does high cholesterol cause symptoms?

Usually not. The NHS says plainly that high cholesterol does not usually cause symptoms, and you can only find out if you have it from a blood test. People often feel completely well right up until a problem such as a heart attack or stroke, which is exactly why testing matters.

How to get your cholesterol checked

The NHS suggests asking your GP surgery for a cholesterol test if you haven't had one before and you're over 40, overweight, or high cholesterol or heart problems run in your family. If you're over 40, you may have a finger-prick test as part of your NHS Health Check. You can also get a test at a pharmacy, though you may have to pay.

The test is either a blood sample from your arm, with results in a few days, or a finger-prick test. Most people don't need to fast beforehand, and the NHS notes that eating before the test doesn't make much difference to the main cholesterol results. If you are asked to fast, it can be for up to 12 hours, so check the instructions when you book.

How to lower your cholesterol

If your levels are above the healthy range, lifestyle changes are almost always the first step, and they help whether or not you also end up taking medicine. The NHS advice on lowering cholesterol covers four main areas.

Change the fats you eat

The NHS suggests eating more:

• Oily fish, like mackerel and salmon
• Olive oil, rapeseed oil and spreads made from these oils
• Brown rice, wholegrain bread and wholewheat pasta
• Nuts and seeds
• Fruits and vegetables

And eating less of:

• Meat pies, sausages and fatty meat
• Butter, lard and ghee
• Cream and cheese
• Cakes and biscuits
• Food containing coconut oil or palm oil

The pattern is swapping saturated fats for unsaturated ones and choosing more wholegrains and fibre. Many of the foods on the "eat more" list are also slow-release carbohydrates, which we've covered in our guide to low GI foods.

Move more

The NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, a week. That can be brisk walking, cycling or swimming, broken into chunks that fit your week. Regular activity also helps with weight, blood pressure and blood glucose.

Stop smoking

The NHS warns that smoking can raise your cholesterol and makes heart attacks, strokes and cancer more likely. Your GP or local stop smoking service can help, and you're much more likely to succeed with support than going it alone.

Cut down on alcohol

The NHS advises not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week, spreading drinking over 3 or more days if you do drink that much, and having several drink-free days each week.

Where weight comes in

Because being overweight is one of the listed causes of high cholesterol, losing excess weight gradually is one of the changes that can help. You don't need a dramatic plan. Steady changes to what you eat, how much you move and how well you sleep tend to last longer than strict diets. If sleep is part of your picture, our guide asking whether 7 hours of sleep is enough looks at how it connects with weight.

What if lifestyle changes aren't enough?

If your cholesterol stays high, or your overall risk of heart disease is high, your GP may talk to you about medicine. The most common option is a statin, which lowers the amount of cholesterol made by the liver. The NHS guide to statins explains how they work, who might be offered them and possible side effects.

Whether medicine is right for you depends on your whole risk profile, not just one number, so it's a decision to make with your GP. Lifestyle changes still matter if you do start treatment.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any treatment.