The short answer
Non-HDL cholesterol is all the cholesterol in the particles that can build plaque. Labcorp’s report doesn’t print it, so you work it out: your total cholesterol minus your HDL. For most people, the target is under 130 mg/dL.2,7
- A good result
- Under 130 mg/dL for most people. Under 100 if your risk is high, and under 85 for most people who’ve had a heart attack or stroke.2
- If yours is high
- Look at your LDL and triglycerides to see which part is up. Cutting sugar, refined carbs and alcohol lowers the triglyceride part; statins lower both.2
- Should you test?
- If you’ve had a cholesterol test, you already have the numbers. Subtract HDL from total cholesterol: 210 minus 50 is a non-HDL of 160 mg/dL.2
Check your result
Type the number from your report. It stays on this page.
- Under the usual target Under 130
- Above the usual target 130 to 189
- High 190 to 219
- Very high 220 or more
Your target: under 130 mg/dL
- Under your target Under 130
- Above the usual target 130 to 189
- High 190 to 219
- Very high 220 or more
Your target: under 100 mg/dL
- Under your target Under 100
- Above your target 100 to 129
- Above the usual target 130 to 189
- High 190 to 219
- Very high 220 or more
Your target: under 85 mg/dL
- Under your target Under 85
- Above your target 85 to 129
- Above the usual target 130 to 189
- High 190 to 219
- Very high 220 or more
Enter your result to see what it means and what to do next.
Got a result from another lab? Ask Picardo about it. The app explains your results, and a physician can follow up.
Green only reaches your target. Targets and the 190 and 220 lines come from the 2026 US guideline.2 The bar isn’t to scale.
Under your target
Your non-HDL is where the 2026 US guideline wants it for someone at your level of risk.2
Nothing to worry about.
- 1 Keep doing what you’re doing.
- 2 If your triglycerides are high or you have diabetes, ApoB can show whether some risk remains.2
- 3 If you’ve never had Lp(a) checked, do it once. It’s inherited and needs its own test.2
Under 130, but above your target
This would meet the target for most people. But with diabetes and other risk factors, inherited high cholesterol, a high 10-year risk or a past heart attack or stroke, guidelines aim lower: under 100, or under 85.2
Worth acting on over the next few months. It isn’t urgent.
- 1 Ask your clinician whether your treatment should step up.2
- 2 If your triglycerides are high, cutting sugar, refined carbs and alcohol helps; see how to lower non-HDL cholesterol below.2
- 3 Recheck 4 to 12 weeks after any change.2
Above the target for most people
Your non-HDL is above the target for most people. In large studies, the higher it was, the more heart attacks and strokes people had over the following decades.5
Worth acting on, but not urgent. This is about the years ahead, not this week.
- 1 Look at your LDL and triglycerides. If your triglycerides are 150 or more, part of the extra is in triglyceride-rich particles.2
- 2 See a clinician about whether to start or step up treatment. Without heart disease, the decision rests on your 10-year risk.2
- 3 Check Lp(a) and HbA1c. A high Lp(a) favors stronger treatment, and diabetes with other risk factors lowers your target.2
- 4 Recheck 4 to 12 weeks after any change.2
High: a reason to consider a statin
US guidelines count a non-HDL of 190 to 219 as a risk enhancer. When your 10-year risk is borderline, it can tip the decision toward starting a statin.2
Worth seeing a clinician in the next month or two. It isn’t urgent.
- 1 See a clinician about whether to start a statin.2
- 2 Check Lp(a) and HbA1c. Either can add to your risk.2
- 3 Look at your LDL and triglycerides to see which part is high, then see how to lower non-HDL cholesterol below.
Very high: a statin is recommended whatever your risk
US guidelines treat a non-HDL of 220 or more like an LDL of 190 or more: as severe high cholesterol, where a statin is recommended without first calculating your 10-year risk.2 If your triglycerides are 500 or more, they need attention too, because they raise the risk of pancreatitis.2
See a clinician in the next few weeks. It isn’t an emergency.
- 1 See a clinician about starting a statin.2
- 2 Ask about tests for other causes, such as an underactive thyroid, kidney disease or poorly controlled diabetes, and whether genetic testing for familial hypercholesterolemia makes sense.2
- 3 If it’s inherited, your parents, siblings and children should be tested too.2
Under the target for most people
That meets the target for most people. If your risk is higher, the target is lower: under 100 at high risk, and under 85 for most people after a heart attack or stroke.2
Not a worry on its own.
- 1 Pick the group that fits you above to see your own target.
- 2 If heart disease runs in your family, check Lp(a) once. It’s inherited and needs its own test.2
What is a normal non-HDL cholesterol level?
Labcorp’s report doesn’t print non-HDL cholesterol, so there’s no lab flag to go by. Work it out from your total cholesterol and HDL, then compare it with the target for your risk. Each target is 30 mg/dL above the matching LDL target:2,7
Under your target
Your non-HDL is where the 2026 US guideline wants it for someone at your level of risk.2
Nothing to worry about.
Under 130, but above your target
This would meet the target for most people. But with diabetes and other risk factors, inherited high cholesterol, a high 10-year risk or a past heart attack or stroke, guidelines aim lower: under 100, or under 85.2
Worth acting on over the next few months. It isn’t urgent.
Above the target for most people
Your non-HDL is above the target for most people. In large studies, the higher it was, the more heart attacks and strokes people had over the following decades.5
Worth acting on, but not urgent. This is about the years ahead, not this week.
- 1 Look at your LDL and triglycerides. If your triglycerides are 150 or more, part of the extra is in triglyceride-rich particles.2
- 2 See a clinician about whether to start or step up treatment. Without heart disease, the decision rests on your 10-year risk.2
- 3 Check Lp(a) and HbA1c. A high Lp(a) favors stronger treatment, and diabetes with other risk factors lowers your target.2
- 4 Recheck 4 to 12 weeks after any change.2
High: a reason to consider a statin
US guidelines count a non-HDL of 190 to 219 as a risk enhancer. When your 10-year risk is borderline, it can tip the decision toward starting a statin.2
Worth seeing a clinician in the next month or two. It isn’t urgent.
Very high: a statin is recommended whatever your risk
US guidelines treat a non-HDL of 220 or more like an LDL of 190 or more: as severe high cholesterol, where a statin is recommended without first calculating your 10-year risk.2 If your triglycerides are 500 or more, they need attention too, because they raise the risk of pancreatitis.2
See a clinician in the next few weeks. It isn’t an emergency.
- 1 See a clinician about starting a statin.2
- 2 Ask about tests for other causes, such as an underactive thyroid, kidney disease or poorly controlled diabetes, and whether genetic testing for familial hypercholesterolemia makes sense.2
- 3 If it’s inherited, your parents, siblings and children should be tested too.2
What is non-HDL cholesterol?
Non-HDL is your LDL cholesterol plus the cholesterol that LDL leaves out, most of it in particles that also carry triglycerides. When your triglycerides are normal, that extra is small. When they’re high, it can be a big share.2
It’s all the cholesterol in your blood except what HDL carries. That covers LDL, the triglyceride-rich VLDL particles, the remnants they leave behind and Lp(a). Each of these particles carries one ApoB protein, and these are the particles that can get into artery walls.1,2
To work it out, take your total cholesterol and subtract your HDL.2 A total of 210 mg/dL and an HDL of 50 gives a non-HDL of 160.
Is non-HDL cholesterol better than LDL?
It often tells you more. It counts the cholesterol in VLDL and remnant particles, which an LDL result leaves out. Genetic and population studies link these triglyceride-rich particles to heart attacks and strokes, and they may explain some of the risk that remains once LDL is treated.3
The difference matters most when triglycerides are high, with diabetes and with extra weight. US guidelines prefer non-HDL or ApoB to LDL whenever triglycerides are 150 mg/dL or more, and call non-HDL a better predictor of heart risk than LDL.2
In statin trials, the non-HDL people reached on treatment predicted later heart events more strongly than their LDL did.4
How is non-HDL different from LDL and ApoB?
| LDL cholesterol | Non-HDL cholesterol | ApoB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it measures | Cholesterol in LDL particles | Cholesterol in every plaque-building particle | How many plaque-building particles you have |
| Includes VLDL and remnants | No | Yes | Yes |
| On Labcorp’s Lipid Panel | Yes, calculated | No: total minus HDL | No, a separate test |
| Most useful when | Triglycerides are normal | Triglycerides are high, or you have diabetes | Checking for leftover risk once you’re at target |
Non-HDL and ApoB are preferred to LDL when triglycerides are 150 mg/dL or more.2
Non-HDL and ApoB look at the same particles in two ways: one weighs their cholesterol, the other counts them.1 They usually agree. US guidelines set targets for non-HDL, which every cholesterol test gives you, and suggest adding ApoB once those targets are met.2
What raises non-HDL cholesterol?
Anything that raises LDL raises non-HDL, and so does anything that raises triglycerides:2
- Your genes, including familial hypercholesterolemia
- Saturated fat, added sugar and refined carbs
- Alcohol
- Extra weight, insulin resistance and diabetes, especially when blood sugar runs high
- An underactive thyroid, kidney disease or nephrotic syndrome
- Some medicines, including steroids, estrogen taken by mouth, some antipsychotics and some HIV medicines
How to lower non-HDL cholesterol
- Statins
The first choice when you need a medicine. They lower LDL, the biggest part of non-HDL, and cut triglycerides by about 20% to 40%, more when your starting level is higher.2
- How much it helps
- A lot
- How sure we are
- Very sure
- Adding ezetimibe or a PCSK9 inhibitor
For when a statin isn’t enough. On top of a statin, ezetimibe lowers LDL by about another 25%; PCSK9 inhibitors lower it by 45% to 64%.2
- How much it helps
- A lot
- How sure we are
- Very sure
- Cutting added sugar, refined carbs and alcohol
Lowers triglycerides, and with them the cholesterol carried in triglyceride-rich particles.2
- How much it helps
- Some
- How sure we are
- Very sure
- Losing 5% to 10% of your weight
If you have weight to lose, this can cut triglycerides by 20% to 30%. LDL falls only a little.2
- How much it helps
- Some
- How sure we are
- Fairly sure
- Swapping saturated fat for unsaturated fat
Butter, fatty meat and coconut oil for olive oil, nuts, seeds and fish. This lowers LDL, the largest part of non-HDL.2
- How much it helps
- Some
- How sure we are
- Very sure
- Regular aerobic exercise
Aim for at least 150 minutes a week. In a meta-analysis, moderate aerobic exercise lowered triglycerides by about 19 mg/dL.2
- How much it helps
- A little
- How sure we are
- Fairly sure
Statins come first when you need a medicine, because LDL is usually the biggest part of non-HDL. Food, alcohol and weight changes do most for the triglyceride part.2 Clinicians recheck 4 to 12 weeks after a change.2
Who should check their non-HDL cholesterol?
Anyone with a standard cholesterol result can, because the numbers are already on it. It’s most useful if any of these apply to you:2
- Your triglycerides are 150 mg/dL or more.
- You have diabetes or extra weight.
- Your LDL is under 70, where the LDL calculation is less accurate. Non-HDL uses only measured numbers.
- You’re on treatment and want to check you’ve reached your target.
How to get a non-HDL cholesterol test, and what it costs
It comes from the lipid panel, which costs $4.50 through Picardo. The Heart Health panel adds 16 more tests from the same visit for $150.90.
Heart Health panel
The panel includes total and HDL cholesterol for working out non-HDL. It adds ApoB, which counts the same particles directly, and Lp(a), which is inherited, plus blood sugar, kidney, liver and thyroid tests. See what’s in it
Lipid panel
The test this number comes from.
- Results in 2 to 3 days, in the app
- Physician follow-up if you want one
- Free Labcorp draw, or $75 at home
- No other fees. HSA and FSA eligible.
It’s also part of the Base Core Annual – Men, Base Core Annual – Women and Postpartum panels, if you want a wider checkup.
Already have a result? Ask Picardo about itQuestions people ask
Why isn’t non-HDL cholesterol on my lab report?
Labcorp’s standard Lipid Panel lists total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, VLDL and LDL, but not non-HDL.7 US guidelines recommend that labs report it.2 Until yours does, it takes one subtraction.
Is non-HDL cholesterol or ApoB the better test?
Both predict heart risk better than LDL.2 ApoB counts the particles directly, and some experts see it as the most accurate guide to risk.1 Non-HDL comes free with every cholesterol test, and in statin trials it predicted heart events slightly better than ApoB.4 US guidelines suggest adding ApoB once your non-HDL is at target, especially if your triglycerides are high or you have diabetes.2
Do I need to fast for a non-HDL cholesterol test?
No. After a normal meal, non-HDL reads at most about 8 mg/dL lower than fasting, and both predict heart risk equally well.6 If the same draw includes glucose or insulin, follow their fasting instructions.
Does non-HDL cholesterol include Lp(a)?
Yes. Lp(a) particles carry cholesterol, so it’s counted in the total.1 Lp(a) usually makes up only a little of it, though, so your non-HDL can look normal even when your Lp(a) is high. US guidelines recommend measuring Lp(a) at least once.2
How soon will my non-HDL cholesterol come down?
Clinicians recheck 4 to 12 weeks after you start or change treatment, which is long enough to see the effect, then every 6 to 12 months once it’s stable.2
Often checked alongside
Test details
Sources
- 1 Sniderman AD, Thanassoulis G, Glavinovic T, et al. Apolipoprotein B particles and cardiovascular disease: a narrative review. JAMA Cardiol. 2019;4(12):1287–1295. doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2019.3780
- 2 Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M, et al. 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline on the management of dyslipidemia: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2026;153(17):e1154–e1276. doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423
- 3 Ginsberg HN, Packard CJ, Chapman MJ, et al. Triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and their remnants: metabolic insights, role in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and emerging therapeutic strategies: a consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society. Eur Heart J. 2021;42(47):4791–4806. doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehab551
- 4 Boekholdt SM, Arsenault BJ, Mora S, et al. Association of LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B levels with risk of cardiovascular events among patients treated with statins: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2012;307(12):1302–1309. doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.366
- 5 Brunner FJ, Waldeyer C, Ojeda F, et al. Application of non-HDL cholesterol for population-based cardiovascular risk stratification: results from the Multinational Cardiovascular Risk Consortium. Lancet. 2019;394(10215):2173–2183. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32519-X
- 6 Nordestgaard BG, Langsted A, Mora S, et al. Fasting is not routinely required for determination of a lipid profile: clinical and laboratory implications including flagging at desirable concentration cut-points. Eur Heart J. 2016;37(25):1944–1958. doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehw152
- 7 Labcorp. Lipid Panel (303756). Labcorp test menu. Accessed October 28, 2026. www.labcorp.com/tests/303756/lipid-panel
Updated 28 Oct 2026.
This is general health information, not medical advice: talk to your clinician about your results and before changing any treatment.