Understanding Cholesterol Ratios: LDL, HDL, and Triglycerides

The lab report comes back, and you see a wall of numbers. 210, 140, 45... it feels like you're reading code you weren't trained to understand. Your doctor might just say "your cholesterol is high" and hand you a script, but if you want to be a real manager of your heart, you need to know what these ratios actually mean.

A single "total cholesterol" number doesn't tell the whole story.

The Good, The Bad, and The Sticky

Think of HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) as the garbage truck of your blood. It picks up the "trash" and carries it back to the liver. You want this number high.

LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) is the delivery truck. When there are too many deliveries and not enough garbage trucks, your arteries get "clogged." Then there are Triglycerides—this is the actual fat circulating in your blood. High triglycerides usually mean you're eating more sugar or carbs than your body can burn.

The Most Important Ratio

The "Total/HDL" ratio is a powerful predictor of heart health. If your total is 200 and your HDL is 50, your ratio is 4.0. According to the American Heart Association, keeping this ratio below 3.5 is ideal for preventing heart disease.

Managing the Numbers Early

If your ratios are skewed, you are in a high-risk zone for a stroke. While diet and exercise are the foundation, some people have genetic "programming" that keeps their LDL high regardless of what they eat. In those cases, using a high-quality statin or a PCSK9 inhibitor is life-saving maintenance.

Don't let the high cost of modern cardiac drugs keep you in the "danger zone." We help you get the best heart medications for $40 a month. Understand your numbers, then get the tools to fix them.

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