If you need to know which are the cholesterol reference ranges or you require more information about the role of cholesterol in the blood, you can visit normal cholesterol level in the blood
Hypocholesterolemia is a very rare situation in clinical practice.
Cholesterol is essential for some important functions in the body. For that reason, a low cholesterol level in the blood is also a health risk. People with hypocholesterolemia are twice as likely to have an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).
The main reason for hypocholesterolemia is an excessive pharmacological treatment for hypercholesterolemia or malnutrition. If the cause is an excessive cholesterol-lowering drugs, it is recommended to decrease the dose.
In some cases, it can be due to hyperthyroidism or liver disorders.
Cholesterol values are usually given in mg/dl but sometimes you can see those values in mmol/l following the International System of Units (SI). In case your values are in mmol/l you can convert them using this tool:
Cholesterol level in the blood is a bit low and it is not a matter for concern.
If you have suffered hypercholesterolemia, you should keep an eye in the dose of cholesterol-lowering drugs. In this case, you should visit your doctor to decrease the dose.
In case you have not previously suffered hypercholesterolemia, it can be the consequence of an unbalanced diet with low consumption of fats. It is common in vegetarian diets.
Cholesterol level in the blood is very low. It is necessary to study the possible causes. The main possibilities are:
Cholesterol values below 50 mg/dl are extremely rare and it is usually a sign of a genetic disorder that prevents the correct absorption of fats. For example, it may be a consequence of abetalipoproteinemia (Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome) or familial hypobetalipoproteinemia.
Marked hypocholesterolemia requires follow-up by a specialist familiar with lipid disorders.
To suffer a particular health situation or taking some drugs can reduce your cholesterol level in the blood:
The following diseases can explain a cholesterol level in the blood lower than normal:
In case you are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, you should reduce the dose or take a less potent drug.
In case the cholesterol in the blood is low because of a low fat diet, you can slightly increase the consumption of animal fats. Pork, egg yolks or fatty dairy products such as butter or cheese usually provide a high concentration of cholesterol.
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The following values are considered to be below the normal range:
IMPORTANT: These levels are expressed in mg/dl. They are an example of a healthy man of about 45 years old with no known disease and not taking any medication. The ranges can be different depending on the laboratory or on your personal circumstances.
Total cholesterol | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mild hypocholesterolemia | |||||||
| 119 mg/dl | 118 mg/dl | 117 mg/dl | 116 mg/dl | 115 mg/dl | 114 mg/dl | 113 mg/dl | 112 mg/dl |
| 111 mg/dl | 110 mg/dl | 109 mg/dl | 108 mg/dl | 107 mg/dl | 106 mg/dl | 105 mg/dl | 104 mg/dl |
| 103 mg/dl | 102 mg/dl | 101 mg/dl | 100 mg/dl | ||||
| Moderate hypocholesterolemia | |||||||
| 99 mg/dl | 98 mg/dl | 97 mg/dl | 96 mg/dl | 95 mg/dl | 94 mg/dl | 93 mg/dl | 92 mg/dl |
| 91 mg/dl | 90 mg/dl | 89 mg/dl | 88 mg/dl | 87 mg/dl | 86 mg/dl | 85 mg/dl | 84 mg/dl |
| 83 mg/dl | 82 mg/dl | 81 mg/dl | 80 mg/dl | 79 mg/dl | 78 mg/dl | 77 mg/dl | 76 mg/dl |
| 75 mg/dl | 74 mg/dl | 73 mg/dl | 72 mg/dl | 71 mg/dl | 70 mg/dl | 69 mg/dl | 68 mg/dl |
| 67 mg/dl | 66 mg/dl | 65 mg/dl | 64 mg/dl | 63 mg/dl | 62 mg/dl | 61 mg/dl | 60 mg/dl |
| 59 mg/dl | 58 mg/dl | 57 mg/dl | 56 mg/dl | 55 mg/dl | 54 mg/dl | 53 mg/dl | 52 mg/dl |
| 51 mg/dl | 50 mg/dl | ||||||
| Marked hypocholesterolemia | |||||||
| 49 mg/dl | 48 mg/dl | 47 mg/dl | 46 mg/dl | 45 mg/dl | 44 mg/dl | 43 mg/dl | 42 mg/dl |
| 41 mg/dl | 40 mg/dl | 39 mg/dl | 38 mg/dl | 37 mg/dl | 36 mg/dl | 35 mg/dl | 34 mg/dl |
| 33 mg/dl | 32 mg/dl | 31 mg/dl | 30 mg/dl | 29 mg/dl | 28 mg/dl | 27 mg/dl | 26 mg/dl |
| 25 mg/dl | 24 mg/dl | 23 mg/dl | 22 mg/dl | 21 mg/dl | 20 mg/dl | 19 mg/dl | 18 mg/dl |
| 17 mg/dl | 16 mg/dl | 15 mg/dl | 14 mg/dl | 13 mg/dl | 12 mg/dl | 11 mg/dl | 10 mg/dl |
| 9 mg/dl | 8 mg/dl | 7 mg/dl | 6 mg/dl | 5 mg/dl | 4 mg/dl | 3 mg/dl | 2 mg/dl |
| 1 mg/dl | 0 mg/dl | ||||||
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