What is an optimal VLDL Cholesterol level?
The short answer
An optimal VLDL Cholesterol level is under 15 mg/dL. That is Dr. Peter Attia's number. You can watch him say it below.
Most labs call VLDL Cholesterol high only above 30. So your report can call 23 normal while it sits above where he draws the line.
“...the other poor man's way to get a V LDL-C. And I like to see that number less than 15 milligrams per deciliter.”
Where a number lands, and who said so
- under 15 mg/dL The range Dr. Peter Attia draws
- 15–30 mg/dL Normal on most reports. Above optimal“I still say to patients, once your V LDL cholesterol less than 15 milligrams per deciliter.” Dr. Peter Attia · 23:40 →
- over 30 mg/dL Most labs flag this as high
What VLDL Cholesterol measures
The cholesterol carried on the particles your liver uses to ship triglycerides out.
Most labs estimate it from triglycerides instead of measuring it. It counts toward the particles that can enter an artery wall.
Checked against MedlinePlus — VLDL Test.
Common questions
What is an optimal VLDL Cholesterol level?
Under 15 mg/dL, according to Dr. Peter Attia.
What is a normal VLDL Cholesterol level?
Most US labs print 2–30 mg/dL. Your report grades you against that range. It exists to catch disease, not to describe your best.
What does your VLDL Cholesterol number mean?
Under 2 mg/dL, your report marks it low. Between 2 and 30 it prints as normal. Over 30, your report marks it high. Where the people we follow draw their own line is above.
Is VLDL Cholesterol of 23 normal?
Your lab will call it normal. Dr. Peter Attia puts the ceiling at 15 mg/dL, so by that number it is high.
Do they all agree?
No. Dr. Peter Attia puts the line somewhere else: “I don't say that anymore, because I've come to realize … it's a very crude crude estimation that's almost useless. I wouldn't call it useless, because I use the word almost.”
What does the VLDL Cholesterol test measure?
The cholesterol carried on the particles your liver uses to ship triglycerides out. Most labs estimate it from triglycerides instead of measuring it. It counts toward the particles that can enter an artery wall.
Where does this number come from?
Dr. Peter Attia, on video. The link above jumps straight to that minute.
They don't all draw the line in the same place
“I don't say that anymore, because I've come to realize … it's a very crude crude estimation that's almost useless. I wouldn't call it useless, because I use the word almost.”