What Is a Good Number for LDL and HDL?

Targets depend on your overall risk and health history. For many people, LDL under 100 mg/dL is reasonable, but if you have plaque or a higher risk, goals may shift to <70 or even closer to 50. For HDL, higher is protective, ideally above 50 in women and above 40 in men. We also track ApoB (<80 for prevention, <65 for very high risk) and triglycerides (<150, but lower is better in insulin resistance).