LDL/HDL Ratio Calculator

What is the LDL/HDL ratio?

The LDL/HDL ratio is your LDL ("bad") cholesterol divided by your HDL ("good") cholesterol. LDL carries cholesterol into artery walls, while HDL helps carry it away, so dividing one by the other gives a focused snapshot of how the two are balanced. A lower ratio is better.

How it differs from the cholesterol ratio

Both are useful, and both say lower is better:

• The cholesterol ratio divides total cholesterol by HDL.
• The LDL/HDL ratio divides LDL specifically by HDL.

Because these are ratios, the units cancel out, so the result reads the same whether your report uses mg/dL or mmol/L. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is stored.

What your result means

These bands are a general guide. They are not a substitute for the LDL target your doctor sets based on your overall cardiovascular risk - someone who has had a heart attack, for example, is given a much lower LDL goal than someone at low risk.

A note on what guidelines target

Current cholesterol guidelines increasingly focus on lowering LDL itself (and related markers such as non-HDL cholesterol or ApoB) rather than ratios. The LDL/HDL ratio is a handy way to summarise your lipid balance, but use it as a prompt to discuss your specific LDL goal and treatment with your doctor.