LDL Cholesterol
Table of contents
LDL cholesterol was one of the two numbers my doctor circled in April 2026. It was just over the lab’s limit and well above the target he set for me. By October it was under that target. This article covers what LDL is, why April’s number mattered, and what I think brought it down.
Snapshot
| April 2026 | October 2026 | Lab range | My target | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDL cholesterol (direct) | 3.45 mmol/L | 2.51 mmol/L | <3.40 | <2.6 |
| Status | ⚠️ High, above target | ✅ On target |
This is the lipid section of my October report. It shows the October result next to April’s, and my doctor’s tick and target written by the LDL line:
What it is
LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. Cholesterol doesn’t dissolve in blood, so it travels inside protein-coated particles, and LDL particles are the main carriers taking cholesterol out to the body’s tissues.
LDL gets called “bad cholesterol” because when there’s a lot of it, LDL particles get into the walls of the arteries and get stuck there. Over years, that build-up turns into plaque (atherosclerosis), which narrows arteries and is behind most heart attacks and strokes.
My lab measures LDL directly (“LDL Chol (Direct)” on the report) rather than estimating it from total cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides. That makes it a bit more reliable when the other numbers are unusual.
What I’m aiming for
- Lab range: under 3.40 mmol/L. This is the general population cut-off for “high”.
- My doctor’s target: under 2.6 mmol/L, set at my April review.
Lower is generally better for LDL. The risk from LDL builds up over a lifetime of exposure, so bringing it down in your 30s counts for more than it might seem. For a 34-year-old with no heart disease, under 2.6 is a sensible goal, and it’s the one I’m working to.
Why April was a problem
At 3.45 mmol/L, my April LDL was just over the lab’s limit and about 0.85 above my target. Total cholesterol was also flagged high (5.29), and ApoB was just above its target (see the ApoB article).
None of this was an emergency. The risk with LDL is slow: years of moderately high LDL add to plaque build-up, which raises the chance of a heart attack or stroke later in life. The good news in April was that my Lp(a), the genetic part of lipid risk, was very low, so the part I could change (diet, body fat, training) was most of the story.
Why October is better
LDL fell from 3.45 to 2.51 mmol/L, a drop of about 27%, and my doctor ticked it as on target. Between April and October, I:
- Lost a lot of fat. Body fat went from 19.3% to 9.55% on DEXA, and visceral fat (the fat around the organs) almost halved. Losing fat, especially around the trunk, usually brings LDL down.
- Changed my carbs. I switched to lower-GI carbs such as brown rice, and ate more protein.
- Trained much more. BJJ went from once a week to 2–3 times a week, then 6 times a week in the run-up to my competition on 11 October, plus a full-body conditioning programme from early September.
The fat loss is probably the biggest factor. One caveat: my blood was drawn 9 days after a weight cut for the competition. Being in a calorie deficit can push lipids down temporarily, so the real test is whether LDL stays under 2.6 now that I’m eating at maintenance.
What’s next
- Recheck LDL at my next blood test to see whether 2.51 holds at maintenance weight.
- Keep the diet changes going: lower-GI carbs, and fibre with meals (oats are already in my diet).
- Body fat at 9.55% is a post-competition low, so some regain is expected. The goal is to keep LDL on target without needing to stay that lean.
The other lipid numbers are in the total cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides article.
This is my own personal data, shared for interest only. It’s not medical advice.
Until next time, peace and love!