Reference
Cholesterol units converter
Two conversion factors, not one — and using the wrong one is the most common mistake in cholesterol arithmetic.
The two factors
Cholesterol and triglycerides are different molecules with different molar masses, so the same number of mg/dL is not the same number of mmol/L for both. Every conversion on this page therefore needs the right factor for the analyte in hand.
Cholesterol (TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, non-HDL-C, VLDL-C) mg/dL to mmol/L: divide by 38.67 mmol/L to mg/dL: multiply by 38.67 Triglycerides mg/dL to mmol/L: divide by 88.57 mmol/L to mg/dL: multiply by 88.57
The mistake to avoid. Converting triglycerides with the cholesterol factor makes the Friedewald VLDL estimate wrong by about 8%, because the equation is applied to a triglyceride value that has been scaled incorrectly. On a panel with triglycerides of 150 mg/dL that is enough to shift the calculated LDL cholesterol by several mg/dL.
Two worked examples. Total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL is 200 ÷ 38.67 = 5.17 mmol/L. Triglycerides of 150 mg/dL are 150 ÷ 88.57 = 1.69 mmol/L — not 3.88 mmol/L, which is what the cholesterol factor would have given.
Cholesterol: mg/dL to mmol/L
The same table serves total, LDL, HDL, non-HDL and VLDL cholesterol, because they share a factor.
| mg/dL | mmol/L |
|---|---|
| 50 | 1.29 |
| 80 | 2.07 |
| 100 | 2.59 |
| 120 | 3.10 |
| 130 | 3.36 |
| 150 | 3.88 |
| 160 | 4.14 |
| 180 | 4.65 |
| 190 | 4.91 |
| 200 | 5.17 |
| 220 | 5.69 |
| 240 | 6.21 |
| 260 | 6.72 |
| 280 | 7.24 |
| 300 | 7.76 |
| 350 | 9.05 |
| 400 | 10.34 |
Triglycerides: mg/dL to mmol/L
| mg/dL | mmol/L |
|---|---|
| 50 | 0.56 |
| 75 | 0.85 |
| 100 | 1.13 |
| 150 | 1.69 |
| 200 | 2.26 |
| 250 | 2.82 |
| 300 | 3.39 |
| 400 | 4.52 |
| 500 | 5.65 |
| 750 | 8.47 |
| 1000 | 11.29 |
To go the other way, multiply instead of divide. Values are rounded to the two decimals a laboratory report would print, so a converted figure can be a fraction of a unit away from the arithmetic.
The rest of the panel
Four measurements, four pages: the composite that stays valid when triglycerides are high, the conversion factors, the full category chart, and the equation itself.
- Non-HDL cholesterol calculatorTotal cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol — the part of the panel that carries the atherogenic particles, and the measurement that stays valid when triglycerides are high.
- LDL cholesterol chartEvery LDL-C category from optimal to very high, in mg/dL and mmol/L side by side, with the treatment goals that sit underneath them.
- The Friedewald equationThe 1972 formula, why the divisor is 5 in mg/dL and 2.2 in mmol/L, and the exact triglyceride level at which it stops being trustworthy.
References
- 1.Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS. Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem. 1972;18(6):499-502. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
Content last reviewed 16 September 2026.Every cut-point and formula on this page is taken from the sources above.
The calculator handles the conversion for you.
Choose the unit your report uses and the Friedewald equation is applied in that unit — no manual conversion, and no chance of using the wrong factor.