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Blood and lab tests

What Is HDL Cholesterol on a Blood Test?

HDL Cholesterol · say it: aych-dee-el koh-LES-ter-olAlso written: HDL, HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein, "good" cholesterol

Short answer

HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol away from the arteries back to the liver, which is why it is often called "good" cholesterol.

What it means

HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is a particle that picks up extra cholesterol from the blood and tissues and takes it back to the liver to be processed or removed.

Because of this clean-up role, higher HDL levels have generally been linked with lower heart risk, and low HDL is treated as one of several risk factors.

HDL is part of a standard lipid panel. Doctors look at it alongside LDL, triglycerides and other health factors rather than on its own.

Where you may see it

Lipid panels or cholesterol profiles
Cardiovascular risk calculations
Routine health check reports

📄 How it looks on a report

HDL Cholesterol 1.3 mmol/L (range printed by lab)

🙅 What it does not mean

A high HDL does not cancel out a high LDL or other risk factors.
Higher is not endlessly better; very high HDL levels are not automatically protective.
"Good" cholesterol is a simplified label. HDL is one piece of a bigger picture of heart health.

🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor

How does my HDL fit with my other cholesterol results?
Is my HDL level a risk factor for me?
How has my HDL changed since my last test?

🧾 Reports where you will see “HDL Cholesterol”

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💊 Medicines whose labels mention “HDL Cholesterol”

Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.

Quetiapine
An atypical antipsychotic medicine

🔗 Read more from trusted sources

“HDL Cholesterol” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
MedlinePlus lab test guides ↗
US National Library of Medicine

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General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.