The “cholesterol ratio” is the ratio of
total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol
(the good cholesterol). For example,
if your total cholesterol is 200 and
your HDL is 50, your ratio is 200:50
or 4:1. The goal is to keep the ratio
below 5:1, with the optimal ratio
being 3.5:1. Raising your HDL
cholesterol through physical activity,
weight management, healthy eating
and medication, if appropriate, can
help to improve (lower) your ratio
and possibly reduce your disease risk.
Desirable cholesterol levels
Total – Less than 200mg/dl is desirable.
HDL – The higher, the better. An HDL of 60 mg/dl is desirable. At a minimum, HDL should be kept above 40mg/dl for men and 50mg/dl for women.
LDL – The lower, the better. Less than 100 mg/dl is optimal.
For more information about heart health, visit www.dh.org and click on ‘OnlineHealth Information’ at the top right of the page. Choose heart-related topics from the ‘Medical Conditions’ section.
