# Please help me with these "new" cholesterol numbers

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-with-these-new-cholesterol-numbers/683071
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 7, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-with-these-new-cholesterol-numbers/683071 "2014-03-07T01:29:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-with-these-new-cholesterol-numbers/683071/1 "2014-03-07T01:29:11Z")

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(In General Questions, because I am hoping the answer just involves math.)

I keep a spreadsheet charting my lipid profile over the years. Among other things I track, I watch HDL, LDL, and VLDL (all mg/dL).

Just got my most recent lab results, and I guess we are going to a new system. (I am aware that as time goes on, it is possible/cost effective to test for new/different things, and that the health industry changes its emphasis on what is important.)

Are any of the values below convertible to the HDL/LDL/VLDL system with which I am more familiar?  
LDL-P 1022 nmol/L   
LDL-C 106 mg/dL   
HDL-P (Total) 32.7 umol/L   
Small LDL-P \< 90   
LP-IR Score \< 25   
HDL-C 73 mg/dL

Thank you.

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### Author: ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-with-these-new-cholesterol-numbers/683071/2 "2014-03-07T01:48:04Z")

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Here is a chart that tells what the ideal levels are for each of the tests, in both the conventional scale and the lipid fractions scale

[https://www.bioreference.com/act/PDFs/ACT%20Sample%20Report%20w%20Patient%20Interpretation.pdf](https://www.bioreference.com/act/PDFs/ACT%20Sample%20Report%20w%20Patient%20Interpretation.pdf)

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### Author: ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-with-these-new-cholesterol-numbers/683071/3 "2014-03-07T02:12:53Z")

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Thanks **jtur88**. I do have access to the reference ranges, although I wasn’t given an interpretation, which is somewhat helpful.

But I’m still confused. In the sample you link to, the result (under Basic Lipid Evaluations) reads “HDL-C, Direct.” The interpretation covers “HDL, Direct.” So I _think_ HDL-C, Direct = HDL, Direct = HDL, is that correct? That suggests that LDL-C = LDL.

Is there any way to derive VLDL from the values I posted?

I guess my problem is that what is presented here as “conventional scale” is not EXACTLY what I am accustomed to seeing.

(I made some fairly large lifestyle changes over the last few months and would really like to be sure I am comparing apples to apples here).