Converting Cholesterol from mmol/L to mg/dL
A cholesterol level of 1.97 mmol/L is equivalent to 76.1 mg/dL.
Conversion Method
To convert cholesterol measurements from mmol/L to mg/dL, a multiplication factor of 38.67 is used based on the molecular weight of cholesterol 1.
The calculation is:
- 1.97 mmol/L × 38.67 = 76.1 mg/dL
Clinical Context of This Cholesterol Value
This cholesterol level of 76.1 mg/dL represents a very low total cholesterol value. For context:
- According to guidelines, a total cholesterol level below 190 mg/dL (5 mmol/L) is generally considered desirable for individuals at low or moderate cardiovascular risk 1.
- This value of 76.1 mg/dL is significantly below typical target ranges.
Interpretation in Different Lipid Parameters
Depending on which specific cholesterol parameter this value represents, its clinical significance varies:
If total cholesterol: This would be considered extremely low and potentially concerning. Total cholesterol below 120 mg/dL may be associated with other health issues.
If LDL cholesterol: This would be well below even the most aggressive target of <70 mg/dL recommended for very high-risk patients 1.
If HDL cholesterol: This would be in a favorable range, as HDL values >40 mg/dL for men and >45 mg/dL for women are desirable 1.
Clinical Considerations for Very Low Cholesterol
If this represents total or LDL cholesterol, such a low value warrants clinical attention:
- While aggressive LDL lowering to <70 mg/dL is recommended for very high-risk patients, there's limited evidence that further reduction below this level provides additional cardiovascular benefit 2.
- Extremely low cholesterol levels may be associated with other conditions that require evaluation.
- The REAL-CAD study found that very low on-treatment LDL-C levels (<70 mg/dL) were not associated with lower cardiovascular event risk compared to moderately low levels (70-100 mg/dL) in patients on the same statin doses 2.
Conversion Table Reference
For reference, common cholesterol conversion values include:
- 1.0 mmol/L = 38.67 mg/dL
- 2.0 mmol/L = 77.3 mg/dL
- 2.5 mmol/L = 96.7 mg/dL (LDL target for high-risk patients)
- 3.0 mmol/L = 116 mg/dL (LDL target for moderate-risk patients)
- 5.0 mmol/L = 193 mg/dL (Total cholesterol target)