It’s important to keep your cholesterol levels within healthy limits. And if you have other risk factors for developing heart disease, you need to be even more careful — especially with your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad,” cholesterol level.

Figuring out the best cholesterol levels to aim for can be confusing. But here’s some help setting your cholesterol number targets.

Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood in the United States and some other countries. Canada and most European countries measure cholesterol in millimoles (mmol) per liter (L) of blood. Consider these general guidelines when you get your lipid panel (cholesterol test) results back to see if your cholesterol falls in optimal levels.

*Canadian and European guidelines differ slightly from U.S. guidelines. These conversions are based on U.S. guidelines.

Source: http://www.MayoClinic.com