What it measures
Non-HDL cholesterol is your total cholesterol minus your HDL cholesterol. It covers the cholesterol in LDL and the other particles linked to build-up in the arteries. The lab works it out from the standard cholesterol results.
Why people test it
- Used with total and HDL cholesterol when GPs estimate heart and stroke risk.
- Monitored on statins and other cholesterol-lowering prescriptions.
- Gives a usable figure without fasting, unlike a calculated LDL.
- Anabolic steroids lower HDL and raise LDL, both of which push non-HDL up.
Typical range
Ranges vary between labs, with the method used, age and sex, and your report shows the lab's own range. The NHS gives a guide for healthy adults of below 4 mmol/L. Source: NHS: high cholesterol, cholesterol levels.
Finger-prick or vein?
A finger-prick sample is usually fine for cholesterol tests. A vein draw works too and is used when it is part of a larger panel.
Eating before the test makes little difference to this result, so fasting is not usually needed.