LDL Cholesterol Conversion: 5.50 mmol/L to mg/dL
An LDL cholesterol of 5.50 mmol/L equals 213 mg/dL.
Conversion Formula
To convert LDL cholesterol from mmol/L to mg/dL, multiply by 38.67:
- 5.50 mmol/L × 38.67 = 213 mg/dL 1
Alternatively, the conversion factor 0.02586 can be used in reverse (divide by 0.02586):
- 5.50 ÷ 0.02586 = 213 mg/dL 1
Clinical Significance of This LDL Level
This LDL cholesterol level of 213 mg/dL (5.50 mmol/L) is severely elevated and places the patient at very high cardiovascular risk:
This level exceeds 190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L), which defines severe hypercholesterolemia and warrants immediate consideration of familial hypercholesterolemia 1, 2
LDL cholesterol >240 mg/dL (6.2 mmol/L) in adults or >150 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) in children should trigger evaluation for familial hypercholesterolemia, though this patient's level of 213 mg/dL is still markedly elevated 2
At 213 mg/dL, this patient requires immediate initiation of high-intensity statin therapy regardless of other risk factors, as this level alone confers high cardiovascular risk 3, 4
Treatment Implications
For a patient with LDL 213 mg/dL, the treatment goal depends on overall cardiovascular risk category 3, 4:
- Very high-risk patients (established ASCVD): Target LDL <70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L) or ≥50% reduction 3, 4
- High-risk patients (multiple risk factors, diabetes): Target LDL <100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L) 3, 4
- Even moderate-risk patients with this baseline LDL should achieve <130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L), though <100 mg/dL is preferred 3
This patient will likely require combination therapy (high-intensity statin plus ezetimibe) from the outset to achieve meaningful LDL reduction, given the starting level of 213 mg/dL 4.