Weight (BMI)
18-24: Ideal
25 or higher: Overweight or obese

Total Cholesterol
Optimal: Less than 200 mg/dL
Borderline high: 200–239 mg/dL
High: 240 mg/dL and above
*At 240 or higher, your heart disease risk is doubled

HDL Cholesterol Level
Optimal: 60 mg/dL and higher (protects against heart disease)
Low HDL: 40 mg/dL or less (a major risk factor in men for heart disease)
60 mg/dL and above Optimal; protective against heart disease

LDL Cholesterol Level
Optimal: Less than 100 mg/dL
Near or above optimal: 100–129 mg/dL
Borderline high: 130­–159 mg/dL
High: 160–189 mg/dL
Very high: 190 mg/dL and above

Triglyceride Level
Normal: Less than 150 mg/dL
Borderline high: 150–199 mg/dL
High: 200–499 mg/dL
Very High: 500 mg/dL and above

Blood Pressure
High: 140/90 mmHg
Borderline High: 139/89 mmHg
Normal: 120/80 mmHg

About the Author: Gay L. Goss, PhD, RNC, WHNP, CNS, is a nurse practitioner in both men’s and women’s health in Southern California and a professor at California State University Dominguez Hills, Calif.