What is the normal cholesterol level?

Approximately: total cholesterol below 5.2 mmol / L, LDL below 3.0, triglycerides below 1.7. HDL (“good”) is the opposite: 1.0+ for men, 1.2+ for women. The target LDL can be stricter at high cardiovascular risk.

How do I calculate the atherogenic index?

By the formula (total cholesterol − HDL) / HDL. Normal is below 3.0. A value of 3.0–4.0 means increased risk, above 4 high. The calculator computes it automatically if you enter total cholesterol and HDL.

Which matters more — total cholesterol or LDL?

LDL (“bad” cholesterol) reflects risk more precisely than total cholesterol. Its relationship with HDL and triglycerides matters too. So the whole lipid panel is assessed, not a single number.

High cholesterol — start statins right away?

No. The decision on statins is made by a doctor based on overall cardiovascular risk, not the cholesterol number alone. At lower risk, you start with diet, activity and weight loss.

Which units to enter?

In mmol / L, as on Russian and most European reports. If yours is in mg / dL, divide total cholesterol, LDL and HDL by 38.67, and triglycerides by 88.5.

Cholesterol norms and atherogenic index

Enter your lipid panel values from a blood test — total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides — and the calculator checks each against the norm and computes the atherogenic index. You don’t have to fill every field: it evaluates what you enter. Values are in mmol / L, as on most European and Russian reports.

Check cholesterol and compute the atherogenic index

Enter at least one value — the result appears instantly.

Cholesterol and lipid norms (mmol / L)

Approximate reference values for adults. The target LDL depends on cardiovascular risk and can be stricter — set by a doctor.

Marker	Norm, mmol / L
Total cholesterol	below 5.2
LDL (“bad”)	below 3.0
HDL (“good”), men	1.0 and above
HDL (“good”), women	1.2 and above
Triglycerides	below 1.7
Atherogenic index	below 3.0

How to read a lipid panel

Total cholesterol is a sum that says little on its own. The fractions matter more: LDL (“bad”) carries cholesterol into artery walls — the higher it is, the higher the atherosclerosis risk; HDL (“good”) carries cholesterol back to the liver — here higher is better.

Triglycerides are blood fats that rise with overeating, alcohol and metabolic problems. Lipids should be assessed together, not by a single number.

What the atherogenic index is

The atherogenic index shows the ratio of “bad” to “good” cholesterol: (total cholesterol − HDL) / HDL. Normal is below 3.0; 3.0–4.0 is increased risk; above 4 is high. It’s a handy summary but doesn’t replace assessment by fractions and overall cardiovascular risk.

What high cholesterol means

High cholesterol — especially LDL — doesn’t hurt for years but builds up in artery walls, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke. The first line is diet, activity and weight loss; medication (statins) isn’t for everyone, only for those at high overall risk.

The target LDL is individual: it’s stricter for someone with diabetes, hypertension or a prior heart attack than for a healthy person. So your personal “norm” is set with a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Approximately: total cholesterol below 5.2 mmol / L, LDL below 3.0, triglycerides below 1.7. HDL (“good”) is the opposite: 1.0+ for men, 1.2+ for women. The target LDL can be stricter at high cardiovascular risk.
By the formula (total cholesterol − HDL) / HDL. Normal is below 3.0. A value of 3.0–4.0 means increased risk, above 4 high. The calculator computes it automatically if you enter total cholesterol and HDL.
LDL (“bad” cholesterol) reflects risk more precisely than total cholesterol. Its relationship with HDL and triglycerides matters too. So the whole lipid panel is assessed, not a single number.
No. The decision on statins is made by a doctor based on overall cardiovascular risk, not the cholesterol number alone. At lower risk, you start with diet, activity and weight loss.
In mmol / L, as on Russian and most European reports. If yours is in mg / dL, divide total cholesterol, LDL and HDL by 38.67, and triglycerides by 88.5.

Cholesterol is part of the bigger heart-and-metabolism picture

Upload the whole lipid panel — AI reads every fraction, links it with sugar, blood pressure and weight and tells you what to do.

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This calculator is for reference and information only and is not a diagnosis or prescription. Target levels and the need for treatment are set by a doctor based on cardiovascular risk.