My total cholesterol is 205. My HDL is64 and my LDL is 112 for a total of 176, not 205. What represents the missing 29?
Triglycerides
If you are wondering how certain numbers are arrived at or how to calculate total cholesterol, most tests actually measure:
LDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol
Triglycerides.
Triglycerides are measured as part of a blood test that measures your cholesterol. Normal triglyceride levels are below 150. High levels are 200 or above.
Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL
Your LDL should be less than 130 mg/dL
Your HDL should be 60 or higher
Your total cholesterol/HDL ratio should be less than 5.0
Your triglycerides should be less than 150
There is no simple, direct way to measure VLDL cholesterol. So VLDL cholesterol is usually estimated as a percentage of your triglyceride value.