Some lipid panel results will include cholesterol ratios, such as the total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio (total/HDL) and the low density lipoprotein/high density lipoprotein (LDL/HDL) ratio. These ratios may provide useful information on gauging a person's health. However, researchers and doctors are divided on the effectiveness of using cholesterol ratios for predicting the chances of developing heart disease.
An Introduction to Cholesterol Ratios
In addition to these numbers, the results from the cholesterol blood test may also show several cholesterol ratios. These ratios may include:
- Total/HDL ratio
- LDL/HDL ratio
- HDL/LDL ratio.
Total Cholesterol/HDL Cholesterol Ratios
Total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratios (or total/HDL ratios) are determined by dividing the HDL cholesterol into the total cholesterol.
If a person has a total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL and an HDL cholesterol of 40 mg/dL, his or her total/HDL cholesterol ratio would be 5:1. The goal is to keep these cholesterol ratios below 5:1, with the ideal being below 3.5:1.
Scientists and doctors are divided on the effectiveness of these cholesterol ratios for predicting the chances of developing
heart disease. At this point, the American Heart Association recommends using the absolute numbers for total blood cholesterol and HDL cholesterol instead of the total/HDL cholesterol ratio. They believe that the absolute
cholesterol numbers are more useful to plan treatment than this cholesterol ratio.
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