HDL

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Blood test

High-density lipoprotein

The normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories.

In general, your risk for heart disease, including a heart attack, increases if your HDL cholesterol level is less than 40 mg/dL. More specifically, men are at particular risk if their HDL is below 37 mg/dL, and women are at particular risk if their HDL if their HDL is below 47 mg/dL.

An HDL 60 mg/dL or above helps protect against heart disease.

Women tend to have higher HDL cholesterol than men.

Low HDL levels may indicate an increased risk of atherosclerotic heart disease.

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

• Familial combined hyperlipidemia
• Noninsulin-dependent diabetes (NIDD)

Review Date: 07/21/2006
Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.