HDL cholesterol measures the cholesterol carried by high-density lipoproteins, the particles that collect cholesterol from tissues and return it to the liver. It is one component of the lipid profile and describes lipid transport rather than the state of any single organ. In cardiovascular risk assessment it is used as a marker that tracks in the opposite direction to the atherogenic lipids.
No readings for this marker yet.
Lower HDL cholesterol is seen most often with abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, smoking, a sedentary routine, and in combination with high triglycerides; it also falls during acute illness and inflammation. Higher values occur with regular endurance exercise, moderate alcohol intake, and in some inherited variants of lipid metabolism, and very high values are not automatically protective. A single result outside the range is a reason to repeat the test and discuss the whole lipid picture with a doctor, not a conclusion on its own.
Values shift with recent weight change, alcohol in the preceding days, pregnancy, thyroid disease, and an ongoing infection, so testing during or soon after an acute illness is usually postponed. Reference limits differ by sex. HDL cholesterol is read alongside total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and is subtracted from total cholesterol to give non-HDL cholesterol, which together with apolipoprotein B carries the risk information.
Reference ranges are general adult values and depend on lab, assay, age and sex. For orientation, not diagnosis — discuss results with your doctor.