Hikers make their way up the trail to Grays Peak, located on the Continental Divide. Paired with nearby Torreys Peak, the two mountains combine for a solid 1-2 punch for a beginner looking to summit their first fourteener. (Photo: Stephen Meyers/The Coloradoan )Buy Photo.
The ratio of HDL/LDL looks at the ratio of good cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol (LDL). The ratio is determined by dividing the LDL cholesterol into the HDL cholesterol. For example, if a person has an HDL cholesterol of 50 mg/dL and an LDL cholesterol of 150 mg/dL, the HDL/LDL ratio would be 0.33. The goal is to keep the ratio above 0.3, with the ideal HDL/LDL ratio being above 0.4.
From these results various ratios can be calculated. The most common cholesterol ratios used to assess risk of heart disease are the Total Cholesterol/HDL ratio and the LDL/HDL ratio. The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol is determined by dividing one's total cholesterol by their HDL. For instance, if an individual has an HDL cholesterol reading of 50 and a total cholesterol reading of 200 their total/HDL ratio would be 4.0.