Counting Cholesterol Numbers - What They Mean?

LDL cholesterol

HDL cholesterol

Heart healthy numbers:

What the numbers mean and what you should shoot for. Doctors use these numbers both as a guide to predicting a person's risk of heart disease and as blood tests to monitor the effects of treatment. Rather than using absolute numbers, cardiologists use ratios, both of LDL to HDL and of total cholesterol to HDL. An ideal ratio is 3.5 to 1 or less. For example, if your LDL is 130 and HDL is 40, your ratio is 3.3 to 1. As the ratio rises above 3.5 to 1, the risk of coronary artery disease increases. The number that seems to be the most predictive of heart disease is the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL. For example, a cholesterol of 200 and HDL of 50 would give you a cholesterol-to-HDL ratio of 4 to 1. A cholesterol-to-HDL ratio greater than 4.5 to 1 increases a person's risk of coronary artery disease. The risk doubles at a ratio of 5 to 1 and doubles again at a ratio of 7 to 1. Best is a ratio of less than 3.5 to 1.

Cardiologists pay a lot of attention to the level of HDL as a predictor of heart disease. One study showed that the risk of heart disease was 38 percent higher in men with HDL under 35, even if their total cholesterol was below 200. So, shoot for a high HDL and a low total cholesterol.