About Total Cholesterol
Total cholesterol is the sum of LDL, HDL, and VLDL cholesterol circulating in your blood. In isolation it is one of the least predictive numbers for heart disease risk — a high total cholesterol driven entirely by high HDL is actually protective, while the same number driven by LDL is dangerous. Its main value is as a gateway that prompts a complete lipid panel including LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and ideally ApoB.