Which total cholesterol reading is considered under the recommended threshold?

Which total cholesterol reading is considered under the recommended threshold?

• A. < 180 mg/dL
• B. < 210 mg/dL
• C. < 200 mg/dL
• D. < 190 mg/dL

Answer: (C)

Total cholesterol is interpreted using guideline-based categories to assess cardiovascular risk. A reading under 200 mg/dL is considered desirable and falls within the recommended target. This threshold is widely used in practice to define the desirable range, with readings between about 200–239 mg/dL considered borderline high and 240 mg/dL or above considered high risk. So the expression that best matches the recommended target is less than 200 mg/dL. Values above 200 mg/dL indicate you’ve moved out of the desirable range, while readings well under 200 mg/dL are still desirable; the threshold itself is 200 mg/dL, which is why "< 200 mg/dL" is the best choice.

Total cholesterol is interpreted using guideline-based categories to assess cardiovascular risk. A reading under 200 mg/dL is considered desirable and falls within the recommended target. This threshold is widely used in practice to define the desirable range, with readings between about 200–239 mg/dL considered borderline high and 240 mg/dL or above considered high risk. So the expression that best matches the recommended target is less than 200 mg/dL. Values above 200 mg/dL indicate you’ve moved out of the desirable range, while readings well under 200 mg/dL are still desirable; the threshold itself is 200 mg/dL, which is why "< 200 mg/dL" is the best choice.