For many healthcare professionals today, assessing your non-HDL cholesterol level is considered a more effective method for predicting heart disease risk than relying on your cholesterol ratio. Both of these measures are also seen as superior predictors compared to simply looking at your total cholesterol or LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels alone.
Non-HDL cholesterol, as its name suggests, is calculated by subtracting your HDL (“good”) cholesterol number from your total cholesterol number. This straightforward calculation provides a comprehensive measure of all the cholesterol types considered detrimental to heart health.
For most individuals, an optimal non-HDL cholesterol level is less than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 3.37 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). It’s important to note that for those with a history of heart attack or other cardiovascular conditions, an even lower target level may be recommended. Elevated non-HDL cholesterol numbers are indicative of an increased risk of developing heart disease.
Cholesterol ratio, on the other hand, is determined by dividing your total cholesterol number by your HDL cholesterol number. For example, if your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L) and your HDL is 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L), your cholesterol ratio would be 4:1. Similar to non-HDL cholesterol, higher cholesterol ratios also correlate with a greater risk of heart disease.
While both non-HDL cholesterol and cholesterol ratio offer valuable insights, many experts now favor non-HDL cholesterol as a more direct and comprehensive indicator of cardiovascular risk. Consulting with your healthcare provider will help you understand your individual risk factors and the most appropriate cholesterol targets for your health.
