For people at high risk of cardiovascular disease, the recommended limit for total cholesterol is 4 mmol/L, and 2 mmol/L for LDL.In the United States, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute within the National Institutes of Health classifies total cholesterol of less than 200 mg/dL as "desirable", 200 to 239 mg/dL as "borderline high", and 240 mg/dL or more as "high".There is no absolute cutoff between normal and abnormal cholesterol levels, and values must be considered in relation to other health conditions and risk factors.Higher levels of total cholesterol increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly coronary heart disease. Levels of LDL or non-HDL cholesterol both predict future coronary heart disease; which is the better predictor is disputed. High levels of small dense LDL may be particularly adverse, although measurement of small dense LDL is not advocated for risk prediction. In the past, LDL and VLDL levels were rarely measured directly due to cost. Levels of fasting triglycerides were taken as an indicator of VLDL levels (generally about 45% of fasting triglycerides is composed of VLDL), while LDL was usually estimated by the Friedewald formula:
LDL 
  
    
      
        ≈
      
    
    {\displaystyle \approx }
   total cholesterol – HDL – (0.2 x fasting triglycerides).However, this equation is not valid on nonfasting blood samples or if fasting triglycerides are elevated (>4.5 mmol/L or >∼400 mg/dL).
Diagnosis relies on identifying Talaromyces marneffei in cultures from clinical specimens such as sputum, blood, skin scrapings, lymph node, and bone marrow, by which time the disease is in the late-stage. Fungi in blood are found in half of case.Non-specific laboratory findings may show evidence of the fungus invading tissue, such as low platelets due to bone marrow infiltration, and elevated transaminases due to liver involvement.Biopsies of skin lesions, lymph nodes, and bone marrow demonstrate the presence of organisms on histopathology. Intracellular and extracellular forms are oval and have a characteristic transverse septum. In culture, colonies are powdery green and produce red pigment; however, cultures are negative in a significant number of cases.Medical imaging may reveal shadows in the lungs. Differential diagnosis
The disease can look similar to tuberculosis and histoplasmosis

Treatment
Talaromycosis may be prevented in people at high risk, using the antifungal medication itraconazole, and is treatable with amphotericin B followed by itraconazole or voriconazole. Outcomes
With treatment, less than 25% of those affected die. Without treatment, more than 75% will die. Epidemiology
The exact number of people in the world affected is not known. Once considered rare, its occurrence increased due to HIV/AIDS to become the third most common opportunistic infection (after extrapulmonary tuberculosis and cryptococcosis) in HIV-positive individuals within the endemic area of Southeast Asia.