What is an optimal HDL cholesterol level?
The short answer
An optimal HDL cholesterol level is above 60 mg/dL. That is Dr. Mark Hyman's number. You can watch him say it below.
Most labs call HDL cholesterol low only under 50. So your report can come back normal at 55 while you sit under the line he draws.
Labs print different ranges by sex: about 50–100 mg/dL for women and 40–90 for men.
“Your HDL should be over 60 ideally, over 50 if you can manage it.”
Where a number lands, and who said so
The rows below use the range labs print for women. For men it is 40–90 mg/dL.
- under 50 mg/dL Most labs flag this as low
- 50–60 mg/dL Normal on most reports. Below optimal Dr. Mark Hyman · 11:21 →
- above 60 mg/dL The range Dr. Mark Hyman draws
What HDL cholesterol measures
The cholesterol carried on HDL particles.
HDL carries cholesterol away from artery walls. The particle count matters more than the cholesterol inside it.
Checked against MedlinePlus — Cholesterol Levels.
One of the doctors we cite, on why it matters
“the higher triglycerides and the lower your HDL, the more you had a higher risk for heart attack”
Common questions
What is an optimal HDL cholesterol level?
Above 60 mg/dL, according to Dr. Mark Hyman.
What is a normal HDL cholesterol level?
Most US labs print 50–100 mg/dL. Your report grades you against that range. It exists to catch disease, not to describe your best. Labs print different ranges by sex: about 50–100 mg/dL for women and 40–90 for men.
What does your HDL cholesterol number mean?
Under 50 mg/dL, your report marks it low. Between 50 and 100 it prints as normal. Over 100, your report marks it high. Where the people we follow draw their own line is above. Labs print different ranges by sex: about 50–100 mg/dL for women and 40–90 for men.
Is HDL cholesterol of 55 normal?
Your lab will call it normal. Dr. Mark Hyman puts the floor at 60 mg/dL, so by that number it is low.
Do they all agree?
No. Dr. Thomas Dayspring puts the line somewhere else: “If HDLs are important to the cardiovascular system — and I maintain they are — the metric HDL cholesterol is useless.”
What does the HDL cholesterol test measure?
The cholesterol carried on HDL particles. HDL carries cholesterol away from artery walls. The particle count matters more than the cholesterol inside it.
Where does this number come from?
Dr. Mark Hyman, on video. The link above jumps straight to that minute.
They don't all draw the line in the same place
“If HDLs are important to the cardiovascular system — and I maintain they are — the metric HDL cholesterol is useless.”