# Cholesterol doesn’t add up – Why?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cholesterol-doesn-t-add-up-why/260594
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 19, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cholesterol-doesn-t-add-up-why/260594 "2004-08-19T19:15:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cholesterol-doesn-t-add-up-why/260594/1 "2004-08-19T19:15:20Z")
My recent cholesterol readings:
Total 194
HDL 80
LDL 101
So why don’t the HDL and LDL sum to the total? What are the other components of the Total reading\>
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### Author:  [@MaleBox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaleBox)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cholesterol-doesn-t-add-up-why/260594/2 "2004-08-19T20:06:49Z")
MDL (medium density lipoprotein).
…and curse you for having HDL of 80.
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### Author:  [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cholesterol-doesn-t-add-up-why/260594/3 "2004-08-19T20:47:10Z")
Actually it’s very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL). I have never heard of medium density. And VLDL is the worst type.
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### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cholesterol-doesn-t-add-up-why/260594/4 "2004-08-19T21:08:56Z")
I think that you have to add in 20% of your tri-glycerides.
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### Author:  [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cholesterol-doesn-t-add-up-why/260594/5 "2004-08-20T02:17:01Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#):
>
> I think that you have to add in 20% of your tri-glycerides.
That makes sense. My total cholesterol is 202, and I couldn’t figure how that added up from:
33 HDL
48 Trig.
159 LDL
So, 159+33=192, + 9.6 (20% of 48)=201.6
Now, what’s this TC/HDL amount? Mine is 6.0
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### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cholesterol-doesn-t-add-up-why/260594/6 "2004-08-20T14:27:16Z")
> [@postcards](#):
>
> Now, what’s this TC/HDL amount? Mine is 6.0
While the \<\>200 total cholesterol is a good rule of thumb, most doctors that I’ve spoken to believe that the ratio of TC/HDL is more important. In your case, your total cholesterol is borderline, but your ratio is way too high. Go see your doctor and ask him/her if you should be concerned.