Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About VLDL Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your liver makes cholesterol, and it is also in some foods, such as meat and dairy products. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But having too much cholesterol in your blood raises your risk of coronary artery disease.
VLDL stands for very-low-density lipoprotein. Your liver makes VLDL and releases it into your bloodstream. The VLDL particles mainly carry triglycerides, another type of fat, to your tissues. VLDL is similar to LDL cholesterol, but LDL mainly carries cholesterol to your tissues instead of triglycerides.
VLDL and LDL are sometimes called "bad" cholesterols because they can contribute to the buildup of plaque in your arteries. This buildup is called atherosclerosis. The plaque that builds up is a sticky substance made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, the plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your body. It can lead to coronary artery disease and other heart diseases.
There isn't a way to directly measure your VLDL level. Instead, you will most likely get a blood test to measure your triglyceride level. The lab can use your triglyceride level to estimate what your VLDL level is. Your VLDL is about one-fifth of your triglyceride level. However, estimating your VLDL this way does not work if your triglyceride level is very high.
Your VLDL level should be less than 30 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). Anything higher than that puts you at risk of heart disease and stroke.
Because VLDL and triglycerides are linked, you can lower your VLDL level by lowering your triglyceride level. You may be able to lower your triglycerides with a combination of losing weight, changing your diet, and getting exercise. It is important to switch to healthy fats and cut back on sugar and alcohol. Some people may also need to take medicines.
It sits within Blood, Heart and Circulation and Food and Nutrition.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on VLDL Cholesterol
4 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research already completed
- A Study of Olezarsen (ISIS 678354) Administered to Participants With Severe HypertriglyceridemiaIonis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Clinical Study to Assess High-DHA Fish Oil on Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Adults on Statin TherapyNutrasource Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Services, Inc.
- Effects of Rosuvastatin on the, in Vivo, Kinetic of apoB and apoA1, Using Stable Isotopes, in Type 2 Diabetic PatientsCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Learn More
- Apolipoprotein CIIMedical Encyclopedia
- Cholesterol LevelsNational Library of Medicine
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
- Dietary fats explainedMedical Encyclopedia
- How to Lower Cholesterol: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
- Triglyceride levelMedical Encyclopedia
- VLDL Cholesterol: Is It Harmful?Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Genetics
- Hepatic lipase deficiency: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Patient Handouts
- VLDL testMedical Encyclopedia
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Cholesterol, VLDL. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for VLDL Cholesterol, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.