Cholesterol Hdl Ldl Triglycerides Ratio Calculator
Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides ratio calculator explains you what your TC, HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels mean and whether you are under any risk for heart and cardiovascular diseases. The calculator shows you interpretation of your cholesterol levels and the TC/HDL, LDL/HDL and triglyceride/HDL ratios. Elevated total cholesterol is not necessarily an alarm and doesn’t always present the whole truth about the condition of the body, while elevated triglycerides in the blood increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including risk of coronary artery disease , risk of heart attack and stroke, more than elevated total cholesterol.Do you have results in mmol/l? How to convert mmol/l to mg/dl?For total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol multiply mmol/l by 38.67, for example 4.5 x 38.67 = 174 For triglycerides multiply mmol/l by 88.57, for example 1.4 x 88,57 = 124 How to use calculator? Select your gender, enter your total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides numbers. Press the button “Interpretation of the results, calculate the ratios”. That?s all!
Cholesterol Ratio Calculator Formula
There are three signs that accurately predict your risk of heart disease. Theyre all dubbed cholesterol ratios because theyre built as ratios of the aforementioned blood values. Do you know what a good cholesterol ratio is? We can find the following numbers with this total cholesterol calculator:
- Simply said, the LDL HDL ratio is the LDL level divided by the HDL level. One of the most widely used indicators of heart disease risk is the LDL HDL ratio. Below 2.0 is ideal below 5.0 is good above 5.0 is excessive.
- Divide your triglyceride level by your HDL level to get your triglyceride HDL ratio. Its a less well-known metric, but its also used to assess the risk of a heart attack or stroke. The typical range for the triglyceride HDL ratio as measured in mg/dL is high: 4.0 6.0 , too high: 6.0 or above ideal: 2.0 or below.
- The total cholesterol HDL ratio is calculated by dividing total cholesterol by HDL. The cholesterol HDL ratio is the worst of the three indications, and the American Heart Association advises against using it for diagnosis. Even so, you can use this figure to gain a rough sense of your health. ideal: less than 3.5 good: less than 5.0 bad: over 5.0
Why Do I Need A Cholesterol Test
You will get a free NHS cholesterol test if you have a number of risk factors for high cholesterol including if youre over 40, have coronary heart disease or diabetes, have had a stroke or mini stroke, or have a family history of cardiovascular disease or a cholesterol-related condition.
Understanding your cholesterol levels
We hear a lot about the dangers of high cholesterol, but unless you have a blood test, you have …
You May Like: Mussels And Cholesterol
Do You Need Medication To Control High Cholesterol
Whether youll need to take medication to lower your cholesterol depends on your levels, as well as on your other risk factors for heart disease, including your sex, age, health history, and family medical history.
Until recently, doctors decided whether or not to treat high cholesterol based on these numbers, explains Holly Andersen, MD, an attending cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill-Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Now, when it comes to deciding if youd benefit from taking medication to lower your cholesterol, your score is no longer a solo consideration, Dr. Andersen says. The change is a result of the November 2013 guideline on the assessment of cardiovascular risk issued jointly by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. These recommendations advise doctors to consider a patients overall health for heart disease, not just cholesterol numbers.
Some of the factors used to measure your heart disease risk are:
- Your age, gender, and race
- Whether you smoke
- Blood pressure
- Whether you have diabetes
Your physician may plug your numbers and other factors into the ACC/AHA ASCVD Risk Estimator to determine your 10-year risk of heart disease or stroke. If you have the data, you can calculate the risk yourself using an online tool like this Heart Risk Calculator.
Are There Ways To Manage High Cholesterol Levels
Yes, there are ways to manage high cholesterol levels, including the following:
If your cholesterol is high, it will take time and effort to improve your cholesterol levels and cholesterol ratio. You should count on at least three months of lifestyle changes and possibly taking daily medication. The results, though — a healthier heart and lower risk of heart attack or stroke — are well worth the effort.
Show Sources
Also Check: Is Boiled Shrimp High In Cholesterol
All About Cholesterol Ratio: Why Is It Important
- Chronic Disease
The word Cholesterol commonly gives the impression of something dangerous to our health. It is because almost all of us have someone in our family or friend group who has high cholesterol levels or uses cholesterol medicine.
Around 29 million U.S. adults have total cholesterol levels higher than 240 mg/dL.3. Moreover, nearly half of them currently taking cholesterol medicine. But what do we know about the functions of cholesterol in the body? Lets start with understanding cholesterol:Cholesterol is actually a substance that already found in the body. Our bodies use cholesterol to make vitamin D from sunlight, as well as produce hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. An optimal amount of cholesterol is essential for a better functioning body. On the other side, having too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to cardiovascular complications. So, cholesterol is not a disease, but high levels of bad cholesterol can lead to disease. There are often no symptoms of high cholesterol until heart disease, attack or stroke occurs. Thats why, it is important to know your cholesterol ratio and understand what is the good, the bad, and the ideal cholesterol level.
Normal Range For Total Cholesterol
First, you should know the individual elements of total cholesterol. These include:
- LDLcholesterol stands for low-density lipoprotein and is considered “bad” cholesterol. Since more LDL is associated with plaque accumulation on artery walls, it is good to keep your LDL low. Under 100 milligrams per deciliter is what you’re aiming for, according to Harvard Health Publishing, though this may differ depending on your health.
- HDLcholesterol stands for high-density lipoprotein and is often called “good” cholesterol. “A high HDL appears to have some protective benefits for your heart,” says Haynes. Over 60 mg/dL is generally a desirable amount for your HDL levels.
- Triglycerides are the way your body transports fat in the blood. Like LDL levels, high triglycerides can indicate you are at risk of stroke or heart disease. A desirable number is below 150 mg/dL.
Don’t Miss: Cholesterol In Egg Beaters
What Are The Risks Of A High Ratio
The higher your cholesterol ratio is, the greater your risk of heart disease. A high ratio is usually due to too high LDL and/or VLDL cholesterol, or low HDL cholesterol. Both the body and heart can be affected when cholesterol levels are not at normal levels.
Too much LDL cholesterol in your blood can cause a type of heart disease called atherosclerosis. This is a condition in which the flow of blood to the heart muscle is slowed, and it can even stop blood from getting to the heart altogether, increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
The Pros And Cons Of Total Cholesterol Hdl Ldl And Triglyceride Testing
Time to get your cholesterol checked. Okay, but which test should you get? It’s not so simple anymore. Here is a rundown of some of the choices and their pros and cons:
Total cholesterol. This is the simplest and least expensive test. The test doesn’t require any sophisticated lab work, either. The simple, do-it-yourself home cholesterol tests measure total cholesterol.
But total cholesterol includes both “good” high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the “bad” varieties, chiefly low-density lipoprotein and very-low-density lipoprotein . So, if your total cholesterol is in the desirable category, it’s possible that you may have unhealthy levels of HDL and LDL and VLDL . Think of total cholesterol as a first glimpse, a peek. Doctors are not supposed to make any treatment decisions based on this number alone.
Cholesterol levels can be lowered by stress or infection. An injury, cancer, stroke, or heart attack may have the same effect. So, if your cholesterol levels are unusually high or low, your doctor will probably want to repeat the test some weeks later. Abnormal readings may also lead to tests for other medical problems.
HDL cholesterol. HDL wins its laurels as the “good” cholesterol because it sponges up cholesterol from blood vessel walls and ferries it to the liver for disposal. In contrast, LDL deposits the harmful fat in vessel walls.
An HDL level of 60 or above is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, and below 40 is associated with a higher risk.
Recommended Reading: Does Pasta Have High Cholesterol
Why This Is A Problem
You see, these lipoproteins mentioned above arent supposed to be hanging around in the blood for very long. VLDLs pop out of the liver ready to drop off fat-based energy in the form of Triglycerides from the getgo. They bounce around your vascular system binding to tissues that need the energy and get smaller and smaller from less cargo in the process. From there they are remodeled to IDLs, which are then cleared by the liver or remodeled again to an LDL. This succession of stages to the final LDL takes under 90 minutes. So how long do LDLs hang out? 2-4 days!
This is worth reemphasizing because its key to understanding Cholesterol Remnants. Again:
So given this, wed fully expect that the vast majority of lipoproteins that originated from the liver would be in that final LDL stage, even if they started out as VLDLs, right? Yes, of course!
How To Determine Your Lipid Profile By Using A Cholesterol Calculator
Based on your blood sample test results, you can easily calculate the most common cholesterol parameters essential for the health of your heart and overall wellness. They can be provided by the lipid profile calculation chart. And they include LDL/HDL, triglycerides/HDL, and total cholesterol/HDL ratios. You need to know the four fundamental values to use a cholesterol levels calculator.
In order to calculate total cholesterol, you need only three values, which are interconnected according to this formula: TC=HDL+LDL+0.2xTG . Lets first determine the normal and elevated values before calculating their ratios which serve as reliable indicators of CVD risk.
Recommended Reading: How Much Cholesterol In Crab
Causes Of High Cholesterol
Are you bothered about the question of what is a good cholesterol ratio? As previously said, excessive cholesterol levels can have a significant impact on our general health. As a result, its important to understand what causes high cholesterol. Thyroid insufficiency, type 2 diabetes, and obesity are all common causes of hypercholesterolemia. Genetic illnesses could also cause it like familial hypercholesterolemia, which isnt all that uncommon roughly 0.3 percent of the population has mutations that produce high LDL cholesterol!
Your lifestyle, however, is the most essential factor determining your lipid and cholesterol levels! Diet influences cholesterol levels, although the magnitude of that effect varies by patient. Does Dietary Cholesterol Matter? Results of a Meta-Analysis the consumption of high-cholesterol foods raises serum cholesterol levels, according to a study published in 2016. Trans fatty acids also have a high atherogenic potential, as they lower HDL cholesterol while raising LDL cholesterol .
What Is The Cholesterol Ratio
Three cholesterol ratios are indicators of cardiovascular system health. LDL HDL Ratio LDL level divided with HDL level Triglyceride HDL Ratio Triglyceride level divided by HDL Level Total cholesterol HDL Ratio Total cholesterol divided into HDL levels. So if someone refers to only one cholesterol ratio, it is likely that they mean the TC HDL ratio.
Also Check: Are Clams High In Cholesterol
Your Total Cholesterol Figure Divided By The Hdl
Whats healthy? The lower this figure, the better. Ideally 4.5, while above 6 is considered high risk.
What should I do? This reading will help your GP work out whether your overall cholesterol levels are healthy, which in turn helps them calculate your risk of CVD – another reason why its important to have full cholesterol results, not just TC. It could be high if your TC, LDL-C and non-HDL cholesterol levels are too high, or if your HDL-C is too low, or a combination of both. Maintaining a healthy TC:HDL ratio long-term can help reduce your risk of CVD in future. You can do this by following the advice above.
Why Is It Important To Measure Your Cholesterol Level Periodically
- If you are over the age of 30 years, take a lipid profile test regularly to know your cholesterol levels for necessary lifestyle changes and medication, if necessary.
- You should check your cholesterol every year if you are taking medicine to control your cholesterol levels, or if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure.
- If you have a family history of heart disease, cholesterol test is recommended every 5 years, beginning at the age of 20 years.
| * All values are in milligram/decilitre |
You May Like: Cholesterol In Tuna
Why High Cholesterol Matters
High cholesterol puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, leading causes of death in the U.S. High levels of LDL cholesterol can contribute to plaque buildup on the walls of the arteries, narrowing the arteries and restricting blood flow. If some of this plaque breaks off and gets stuck in a narrowed artery, it can block the artery and cut off blood supply to the heart or brain, resulting in heart attack or stroke.
Are Home Cholesterol Testing Kits Accurate
The answer is yes if the tests are labeled CDC-certified. This means that the contents have been approved by the Cholesterol Reference Method Laboratory Network, a group that works with test makers, laboratories and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make sure tests are accurate.
For home tests, you will still need to fast for 12 hours and to obtain blood for testing. Some kits come with packages for mailing to a lab for results. Other kits have a monitor so you can get the results at home. The cost of such home kits varies.
Also Check: High Cholesterol Foods Shrimp
How To Lower Cholesterol: Smart Protein
To reduce cholesterol, limit red meat and eat more fish and lean poultry.
How to Prepare Healthy Proteins
- Trim all fat from meats, and remove all skin from poultry before cooking.
- Broil or bake, don’t fry foods.
- Drain fat from any meats before serving.
- Avoid processed meats such as hot dogs or cold cuts, even those labeled “reduced fat,” as many are still high in saturated fats and calories.
- Oily fish such as salmon or trout are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce triglyceride levels and improve HDL cholesterol levels.
- Soy proteins can also have a beneficial effect and help to reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while raising HDL cholesterol levels.
When To Get Your Cholesterol Tested
Cholesterol levels arent fixed they vary daily and can depend on a number of factors, like diet and lifestyle choices. Your GP may recommend that you have your blood cholesterol levels tested if you are higher risk for example if you have high blood pressure, are overweight or obese or have a family history of early heart disease. If you have any concerns make sure to talk to your GP, nurse or pharmacist and they will work with you to work out your next steps.Here you can find a comprehensive infographic with everything you need to know about cholesterol testing, from information on fasting and how to book a test to understanding your results.
Read Also: Shrimp Have Cholesterol
A More Accurate Measurement Tool
The traditional Friedewald equation estimates LDL cholesterol this way: total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol minus triglycerides divided by five. For simplicitys sake, the formula applies a one-size-fits-all factor of five to everyone. But Johns Hopkins researchers found that this often makes LDL cholesterol appear lower than it really is for some high-risk patients. The researchers sought a more accurate formula that would take into account specific details about a persons cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Using a database of blood lipid samples from more than 1.3 million Americansalmost 3,000 times larger than the one used to develop the Friedewald equation Johns Hopkins researchers developed a more accurate system for calculating LDL cholesterol. It can be used to make more precise decisions about treatment to prevent heart attack and stroke.
This newer LDL cholesterol formula is being adopted by U.S. laboratories as well as others around the world. The best implementation is direct coding the LDL cholesterol estimation in the lab IT system, which automates the process and saves clinicians time. The formula is also available as a mobile device app called the LDL Cholesterol Calculator. It is available on the iTunes App Store and on Google Play, for those whose lab hasnt adopted it.
Researchers hope the new formula will one day be adopted by all labs that process lipid panels, as it can improve patient care.