Lipid Terminology Classifier

Enter a lipid profile and the tool will identify the most appropriate descriptive terms such as hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, mixed hyperlipidaemia and dyslipidaemia.

1. Enter lipid results

General healthy-adult guide: <5.0 mmol/L.
General healthy-adult guide: <3.0 mmol/L.
Threshold depends on sex in this simplified classifier.
General healthy-adult guide: <4.0 mmol/L.
Fasting and non-fasting thresholds differ.
Used only for the simplified HDL classification.
Current UK practice does not routinely require fasting for a lipid profile.
Context does not change the terminology classification in this version. It is shown to remind you that treatment targets are individualised.

Classification

How the classification was reached
Measurement Your value Reference used Interpretation
Terminology guide
Hypercholesterolaemia Elevated cholesterol, particularly when TC and/or LDL-C are elevated.
Hypertriglyceridaemia Elevated triglycerides.
Mixed hyperlipidaemia Elevated cholesterol/LDL-C together with elevated triglycerides.
Dyslipidaemia Broader term for an abnormal lipid profile, including abnormalities such as low HDL-C.
Low HDL-C HDL-C below the sex-specific reference used by this tool.
Elevated non-HDL-C Non-HDL cholesterol above the general adult guide.

Important clinical note

This tool describes the lipid pattern; it does not diagnose familial hypercholesterolaemia, familial combined hyperlipidaemia, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, or another underlying condition.

Treatment targets are not the same as general population reference levels. People with established cardiovascular disease, diabetes, familial hypercholesterolaemia or other high-risk conditions may have substantially lower treatment targets.

Very high triglycerides require particular clinical attention because pancreatitis can occur at very high concentrations. A lipid result should therefore be interpreted alongside the clinical history and other risk factors.