HDL-2 Cholesterol Unit Converter

HDL-2 cholesterol is the larger, more buoyant subfraction of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. When labs measure your total HDL, it actually contains two main subclasses: HDL-2 and HDL-3.

HDL-2 particles are lipid-rich, with a protein-to-lipid ratio of about 40:60. They make up roughly 40% of your total HDL, while the smaller, denser HDL-3 particles account for the remaining 60%.

Because of their larger size, HDL-2 particles carry more cholesterol per particle and are considered especially effective at reverse cholesterol transport, the process of moving excess cholesterol from your arteries back to the liver for disposal.

HDL-2 is formed in the bloodstream when smaller HDL-3 particles pick up cholesterol and phospholipids from cells and other lipoproteins, becoming larger and more buoyant. The liver and small intestine produce the initial precursor HDL particles (nascent HDL), which then mature into HDL-3 and eventually HDL-2 through this cholesterol-loading process.