mg/dL and mmol/L
One number, both units. Triglycerides use a different factor from cholesterol, and that's where most conversions go wrong.
2.26mmol/L
200 mg/dL of triglycerides is 2.26 mmol/L. Triglycerides use their own factor, 0.0113.
Convert triglycerides with the cholesterol factor and you're off by more than double. 200 mg/dL is 2.26 mmol/L, not 5.17.
What your result means
Once your numbers are in mg/dL, the goals on this site apply: LDL under 100, 70 or 55 by your risk (2.6, 1.8 or 1.4 mmol/L). Check the unit on your report before you compare it with any chart. A triglyceride number converted with the cholesterol factor comes out off by more than double.
The common values
| Number | mg/dL | mmol/L |
|---|---|---|
| LDL | 55 | 1.4 |
| LDL | 70 | 1.8 |
| LDL | 100 | 2.6 |
| LDL | 190 | 4.9 |
| Triglycerides | 150 | 1.7 |
| Triglycerides | 175 | 2.0 |
| Triglycerides | 500 | 5.7 |
| Triglycerides | 1000 | 11.3 |
Total, LDL, HDL and non-HDL: mmol/L is mg/dL times 0.02586. Triglycerides: times 0.0113. ApoB in g/L is mg/dL divided by 100. These are the pairs the 2026 guideline prints, and both factors reproduce every one. Lp(a) in mg/dL and nmol/L count different things, so the guideline treats 50 mg/dL and 125 nmol/L as the same line instead of converting.
1 sources
- Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M and others, 2026 ACC/AHA guideline on the management of dyslipidemia, JACC, 2026doi.org
