* What are lipids?
Cholesterol is a type of lipid that is necessary for human body to stay healthy. Cholesterol is a component of cell membranes and various hormones. Neutral fats (triglycerides) are utilized as an energy source when in need.
High levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides or low levels of HDL cholesterol in the blood, so called “dyslipidemia”, increases the risk of atherosclerotic diseases (hardening of the arteries), such as ischemic heart diseases (myocardial infarction, angina pectoris) and cerebrovascular diseases (cerebral infarction etc.). Adequate management of dyslipidemia by improving living habits or by medications are important to prevent future atherosclerotic diseases.
Low levels of these lipids may be an indication of hidden diseases, such as familial hypolipidemia,
hyperthyroidism, liver diseases, anemia, or poor nutrition, which need proper diagnosis and treatment.
HDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol prevents atherosclerosis by removing cholesterol accumulated in blood vessel walls. Consultation is recommended when HDL cholesterol is too high or too low.
|
lab standard range |
Checkup evaluation* |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
normal |
minor abnormality |
Re-examination / lifestyle improvement required. |
Detailed examination / |
|
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
|
|
40～85 for male 40～95 for female |
40 or higher | ― | 30～39 | 29 or lower |
*Reference values were changed in April 2024(Formarly C: 35 ~ 39, D 34 or lower.)
Dignostic criteria by Japan Atherosclerosis Society: Hypo-HDL cholesterolemia HDL-C < 40 mg/dL
LDL cholesterol
Cholesterol is secreted from the liver and delivered to all part of the body, in the form of LDL cholesterol. When in excess, LDL cholesterol deposits in the walls of the blood vessels causing atherosclerotic diseases. Consultation is recommended when LDL cholesterol is too high or too low.
| lab standard range （mg/dL） |
Checkup evaluation |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
normal |
minor abnormality |
Re-examination / lifestyle improvement required. |
Detailed examination /treatment required |
|
|
A |
B |
C |
D | |
| 65〜139 | 60〜119 |
120〜139 |
140〜179 |
59 or lower OR 180 or higher |
*: Even if LDL cholesterol is 59 or less, it may be judged to be no problem as long as it is not extremely low.
If the triglyceride is 400mg/dL or more or the blood is not fasting, the non-HDL cholesterol level will be used. If the triglyceride is less than 400mg/dL and the blood will be collected during fasting, the LDL cholesterol level will be used for lipid metabolism system evaluation.
Dignostic criteria by Japan Atherosclerosis Society: Hyper-LDL cholesterolemia LDL-C >= 140 mg/dL, Borderline hyper-LDL cholesterolemia LDL-c 120-139 mg/dL
Triglycerides (TG)
TG is an energy source for human body. However, high levels of TG is a risk of atherosclerosis, and extremely high levels of TG causes pancreatitis. Consultation is recommended when TG is too high or too low.
| lab standard range （mg/dL） |
Checkup evaluation |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
normal |
minor abnormality |
Re-examination / lifestyle improvement required. |
Detailed examination /treatment required | |
|
A |
B |
C |
D | |
| 30～149 | 30～149 | 150～299 | 300～499 | 29 or lower OR 500 or higher |
*: Even if triglycerides is 29 or less, it may be judged to be no problem as long as it is not extremely low.
Dignostic criteria by Japan Atherosclerosis Society: Hypertriglyceridemia TG >= 150 mg/dL
Total cholesterol
Normal range is 120 – 219 mg/dl. This item is not used for checkup evaluation.
non-HDL cholesterol
Non-HDL cholesterol is total cholesterol (TC) minus HDL cholesterol. Cholesterol in all atherosclerotic lipoproteins has been introduced into arteriosclerosis prevention guidelines since 2012.
| lab standard range （mg/dL） |
Checkup evaluation |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
normal |
minor abnormality |
Re-examination / lifestyle improvement required. |
Detailed examination /treatment required | |
|
A |
B |
C |
D | |
| 90～149 | 90～149 | 150～169 | 170～209 | ～ 89 OR 210 ～ |
If the triglyceride is 400 mg/dL or more or the blood is not fasting, the non-HDL cholesterol level will be used. If the triglyceride is less than 400 mg/dL and the blood will be collected during fasting, the LDL cholesterol level will be used for lipid metabolism system evaluation. If LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides are all graded A, and if non-HDL cholesterol is outside the range of 90-149, the grade will be B.
Dignostic criteria by Japan Atherosclerosis Society: Hyper-non-HDL cholesterolemia non-HDL-C >= 170 mg/dL, Borderline hyper-non-HDL cholesterolemia 150-169 mg/dL
Reference:
