Included in your membership
Non-HDL-C: A Broader View of Cholesterol Risk
All NiaHealth tests are processed in Canadian-certified labs, which are highly trusted by the medical community for their accuracy and reliability. Blood and urine samples are collected by licensed medical professionals and processed using state-of-the-art equipment. NiaHealth is SOC2 Type 2 certified.
What is it?
Non-HDL-C is the amount of cholesterol carried by particles that can build up in artery walls. It is calculated simply by subtracting your HDL-C ("good cholesterol") from your total cholesterol, so no extra test is needed.
Why it matters
Non-HDL-C captures cholesterol from several artery-clogging particle types, including LDL and others, making it a reliable predictor of heart disease risk, especially when triglycerides are elevated or the test was not done fasting. It performs as well as or better than LDL-C alone for estimating cardiovascular risk, and is one of the primary lipid measures recommended by Canadian cardiovascular guidelines.
Reference ranges
The NiaHealth optimal range of less than 2.6 mmol/L reflects the threshold associated with the lowest cardiovascular event rates in large population studies, and aligns with Canadian primary prevention treatment targets. The at-risk threshold of 4.2 mmol/L is the point at which Canadian guidelines recommend considering cholesterol-lowering medication, depending on your overall risk.
Pearson, G.J., et al. (2021). 2021 Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines for the management of dyslipidemia for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 37(8), 1129–1150.
Brunner, F.J., et al. (2019). Application of non-HDL cholesterol for population-based cardiovascular risk stratification: results from the Multinational Cardiovascular Risk Consortium. The Lancet, 394(10215), 2173–2183.
This information is educational and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Your results should be interpreted with a qualified healthcare professional in the context of your health history.
