The total cholesterol /HDL ratio is the proportion of one type of cholesterol to all the other cholesterol in the blood. Total cholesterol includes three substances HDL, LDL, and VLDL.
HDL stands for high density lipoprotein, LDL stands for low density lipoprotein and, VLDL stands for very low density lipoprotein. LDL is known as “bad” cholesterol and HDL is known as “good” cholesterol. VLDL is not necessarily “good” either, but there is a lot less of it in the blood than the other two types. VLDL is made up mostly of triglycerides. LDL and VLDL are thought of as bad because high levels of these substances cause heart disease and blood vessel disease. People with high levels of LDL and VLDL are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke. People with higher levels of HDL are less likely to have heart attack and stroke. People can improve their total cholesterol /HDL ratio by getting more aerobic exercise and reducing the amount of saturated fat they eat, and taking certain types of cholesterol-lowering medications.
Normal Ranges for Total Cholesterol /HDL Ratio:
Men: Less than 4.5
Women: Less than 4.0
Children to up 18 years of age: Less than 4.0
Critical Range: 5 or higher
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2747394/
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/lipoprotein-classification-metabolism-and-role-in-atherosclerosis
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316173.php
www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/lipid-disorders/hypolipidemia
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1210/jcem.85.12.7027
www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/lipid-disorders/dyslipidemia
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/hypertriglyceridemia?source=see_link#H3
The total cholesterol /HDL ratio cannot be too low. However, total cholesterol may be very low or HDL can become very high. Most people do not have any symptoms when these things occur. When cholesterol levels are very low, people may experience confusion and memory problems. In rare cases, the person may have a genetic condition that is causing low cholesterol. It is also possible that they are experiencing a severe disease such as cancer or severe anemia. Cholesterol medications can also lower the total cholesterol /HDL ratio.
Some specific causes of a low total cholesterol /HDL cholesterol ratio are:
- Cholesteryl ester transfer protein deficiency
- Familial hyperalphalipoproteinemia
- Abetalipoproteinemia
- Hypobetalipoproteinemia
- Chylomicron retention disease
- Anorexia
- Undernutrition
- Malabsorption
- Advanced, non-cholestatic liver disease
- Malignant cancer
- Drugs:
- Statins
- Bile acid sequestrants
- Ezetimibe
Understand and improve your laboratory results with our health dashboard.
Upload your lab reports and get interpretation today.
Our technology helps to understand, combine, track, organize, and act on your medical lab test results.
If your total cholesterol /HDL ratio is too high, it means your total cholesterol is too high, your HDL is too low, or both. Most people do not have any symptoms when total cholesterol /HDL ratio is too high. When cholesterol levels are very high, however, people may notice collections of cholesterol under the skin of the hands and around the eyes.
Some specific causes of a high total cholesterol /HDL cholesterol ratio are:
- Obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Alcohol overuse
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hypothyroidism
- Cholestatic liver diseases
- Chronic kidney disease
- Certain drugs such as:
- Thiazides
- Beta-blockers
- Retinoids
- Glucocorticoids
- Highly active antiretroviral agents
- Oral estrogens
- Antirejection drugs
Interpret Your Lab Results
Upload your lab report and we’ll interpret and provide you with recomendations today.
Get Started
Get Started With Our Personal Plan
Advanced Plan
Unlimited Plan
Are You a Health Professional?
Get started with our professional plan
Welcome to Healthmatters Pro.
Save time on interpreting lab results with the largest database of biomarkers online. In-depth research on any test at your fingertips, all stored and tracked in one place. Learn more
Pro Plan
for health professionals
$45 per month
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
