My doctor says my cholesterol are 4.73 and that it should be 3.3. ldl blood test. is this a really bad number?

May be: Depending upon your age, this level should be reduced. Take Lipitor (atorvastatin) 40 mg daily at night for 2 months and then repeat. It will come down.

Depends on Particles: In addition to these answers, you should have LDL particle number (ldl-p) checked. Ldl cholesterol (ldl-c) is commonly used to "estimate" the number of LDL particles. However, because the amount of cholesterol carried inside LDL is so variable, ldl-c often underestimates ldl-p. When ldl-c and ldl-p differ substantially, numerous studies show cardiovascular risk tracks with ldl-p, not ldl-c.