Cholesterol Goal Calculator
Find your target LDL cholesterol level based on cardiovascular risk factors.
Covers AHA-recommended thresholds for low, moderate, and high-risk patients.
Cholesterol goals are not one-size-fits-all. Guidelines set different LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) targets depending on how much cardiovascular risk you carry, and the same number that is perfectly fine for one person is a treatment trigger for another.
Which guideline these numbers come from. The four targets below (55, 70, 100, 130 mg/dL) are the ESC/EAS 2019 European thresholds, which are the strictest of the major sets and the ones most widely quoted as “goals”. The American ACC/AHA 2018 guideline deliberately works differently: rather than fixed goals it asks for a percentage reduction from your untreated level, using 70 mg/dL as the point at which a very high-risk patient should have a second drug added. The two lead to broadly similar treatment decisions, so this page reports both the gap to target and the percentage cut it represents.
Why LDL matters: LDL, the one usually called “bad cholesterol”, is a primary driver of atherosclerosis, the plaque buildup in arteries behind most heart attacks and strokes. Lower is better across the whole range studied. How far down you need to go is what depends on your risk profile.
Risk categories and LDL targets:
Very High Risk (LDL goal: below 55 mg/dL or 1.4 mmol/L) Includes: prior heart attack or stroke, existing coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, or diabetes with organ damage.
High Risk (LDL goal: below 70 mg/dL or 1.8 mmol/L) Includes: diabetes without organ damage, moderate chronic kidney disease, or multiple major risk factors (smoking, high blood pressure, family history, age 45+ for men / 55+ for women).
Moderate Risk (LDL goal: below 100 mg/dL or 2.6 mmol/L) Includes: 2 or more risk factors but no diagnosed cardiovascular disease.
Low Risk (LDL goal: below 130 mg/dL or 3.4 mmol/L) Includes: 0–1 risk factors and no cardiovascular disease.
Understanding your numbers: Total cholesterol, HDL (“good” cholesterol), and triglycerides all matter alongside LDL. HDL above 60 mg/dL is protective. Triglycerides below 150 mg/dL is ideal.
Always discuss your specific targets with your doctor. This calculator provides educational guidance only.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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