MyBloodTest

Biomarkers

Home

›

Biomarkers

›

Total Cholesterol

Blood

Total Cholesterol

Also known as: TC

COMMON RANGE

0 – 200

mg/dL

332

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

Adult

↗

See all sources ↓

CONVERT & COMPARE

mg/dL

2.59

mmol/L

Reference ranges across 10+ sources

Adult reference ranges from 9 entries across 6 named sources, shown in mg/dL. Compare side-by-side.

SOURCE

SEX

AGE

RANGE

VISUAL

CITE

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

All

≥18y

0 – 200 mg/dL

↗

Labcorp

All

≥18y

100 – 199 mg/dL

↗

Quest Diagnostics

All

≥18y

0 – 200 mg/dL

↗

Nordic Reference Interval Project

All

18y–30y

112 – 236 mg/dL

↗

Nordic Reference Interval Project

All

30y–50y

128 – 267 mg/dL

↗

Nordic Reference Interval Project

All

≥50y

151 – 302 mg/dL

↗

JSCC / JAMT Japan

All

≥18y

135 – 263 mg/dL

Turkey Nationwide Reference Intervals

Male

≥18y

124 – 248 mg/dL

Turkey Nationwide Reference Intervals

Female

≥18y

125 – 229 mg/dL

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

All · ≥18y

↗

0 – 200 mg/dL

Labcorp

All · ≥18y

↗

100 – 199 mg/dL

Quest Diagnostics

All · ≥18y

↗

0 – 200 mg/dL

Nordic Reference Interval Project

All · 18y–30y

↗

112 – 236 mg/dL

Nordic Reference Interval Project

All · 30y–50y

↗

128 – 267 mg/dL

Nordic Reference Interval Project

All · ≥50y

↗

151 – 302 mg/dL

JSCC / JAMT Japan

All · ≥18y

135 – 263 mg/dL

Turkey Nationwide Reference Intervals

Male · ≥18y

124 – 248 mg/dL

Turkey Nationwide Reference Intervals

Female · ≥18y

125 – 229 mg/dL

Ages 0–17 (CALIPER)

PEDIATRIC

4 age- and sex-stratified entries from the Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Pediatric Reference Intervals.

SOURCE

SEX

AGE

RANGE

VISUAL

CITE

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

Female

0–15d

46 – 125 mg/dL

↗

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

Male

0–15d

42 – 109 mg/dL

↗

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All

15d–1y

64 – 237 mg/dL

↗

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All

1y–19y

112 – 208 mg/dL

↗

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

Female · 0–15d

↗

46 – 125 mg/dL

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

Male · 0–15d

↗

42 – 109 mg/dL

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All · 15d–1y

↗

64 – 237 mg/dL

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All · 1y–19y

↗

112 – 208 mg/dL

About Total Cholesterol

A cholesterol test is a blood test that measures the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides (a type of fat) in your blood. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in your blood and every cell of your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods.

Your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs and removes excess amounts. Cholesterol is also found in foods from animal sources, such as meat, egg yolks, poultry, and dairy products. Foods high in dietary fat can increase the cholesterol in your blood. If there's too much cholesterol in your blood, your liver can't remove it all.

There are two main types of cholesterol: LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or "bad" cholesterol, and HDL (high-density lipoprotein), or "good" cholesterol.

Too much LDL cholesterol in your blood increases your risk for coronary artery disease and other heart diseases. High LDL levels can cause the buildup of a sticky substance called plaque in your arteries. This buildup of plaque is known as atherosclerosis. Over time, plaque can narrow your arteries or fully block them.

Total cholesterol — looked at along with HDL, LDL, and triglycerides — also gives your provider information that can help diagnose conditions affecting fats in the blood, the liver, or the thyroid.

Main source: MedlinePlus ↗

Useful for

Gives you and your health care provider important information about your risk of developing heart disease, so that if your test shows high cholesterol you can take steps to lower it and reduce your risk of future heart problems

LDL level — LDL ("bad") cholesterol is the main source of blockages in the arteries.

HDL level — HDL ("good") cholesterol helps get rid of "bad" LDL cholesterol. A higher HDL level may help reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke.

Total cholesterol — a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood, including HDL and LDL cholesterol.

Triglyceride level — triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. High levels of triglycerides may increase the risk of heart disease, especially in women.

Main source: MedlinePlus ↗

Interpretation

Cholesterol is usually measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood. In general, low LDL levels and high HDL cholesterol levels are good for heart health. Healthy ranges differ by age and sex, so ask your provider what's typical for you.

For general wellness information only. Talk to a clinician about your specific results.

Main source: MedlinePlus ↗

Track your total cholesterol in MyBloodTest

Instant lab report scanning, personalized wellness insights, automatic wellness app syncing. All in one app.

Download on the

App Store

Get it on

Google Play

Free · iOS · Android · Web

Related biomarkers

Often tested alongside total cholesterol or part of the same panel.

White Blood Cells (WBC)

Blood

Red Blood Cells (RBC)

Blood

Hemoglobin (Hgb)

Blood

Hematocrit (Hct)

Blood

Platelets (PLT)

Blood

Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)

Blood

Sources

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

Labcorp

Quest Diagnostics

Nordic Reference Interval Project

JSCC / JAMT Japan

Turkey Nationwide Reference Intervals

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

Last updated 2026-05-02

This page aggregates publicly available reference data and clinical information from Mayo Clinic Laboratories and other sources. For general wellness information only — not medical advice. For diagnosis or treatment of any condition, talk to a qualified clinician.

MyBloodTest