High levels of HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, commonly referred to as "good" cholesterol, can reduce your risk for heart disease, while high levels of low-density lipoprotein, LDL or "bad" cholesterol, can increase your risk. A low ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol indicates a lower risk for heart disease.
LDL is considered "bad," while HDL is considered "good." You need a healthy level of both for your body to conduct normal biological functions. High cholesterol occurs when your LDL to HDL ratio exceeds medically designated sta...
Cholesterol is divided into two main categories: HDL and LDL. The key to optimal heart health is to keep the two types in proper ratio, without allowing LDL to take over. As noted by Mayo Clinic, a cholesterol ratio is a helpfu...
LDL cholesterol, also known as "bad" cholesterol, can lead to buildup of plaque in the arteries and an increased risk of heart disease. HDL cholesterol, also known as "good" cholesterol, carries cholesterol to the liver for rem...
Not only does a cholesterol check produce a total cholesterol count, it also provides information about HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. Sometimes you also get a total cholesterol, or TC, to HDL ratio that provides limited informat...
Although many people think of cholesterol as a bad or dangerous thing, some cholesterol is necessary for good health. Your body needs cholesterol to build cell membranes and produce certain hormones. Not all cholesterol is unhe...
Triglycerides can clog your arteries and make you vulnerable to heart disease. HDL cholesterol helps remove triglycerides from your bloodstream, protecting your heart. Your HDL cholesterol can effectively clean your arteries if...
Your HDL cholesterol can perform its function when your system includes a reasonably even ratio of healthy and unhealthy lipids. When triglycerides and LDL cholesterol greatly outnumber HDL cholesterol, you face a greater risk ...
Diet and lifestyle affect the amount of triglycerides stored in your fat cells. High-density lipoprotein, also known as the "good" cholesterol, helps your body eliminate triglycerides. Improve your heart health by maintaining a...
HDL and LDL are commonly called the two types of cholesterol, where HDL is "good" cholesterol and LDL is "bad" cholesterol. While this isn't strictly accurate, you do certainly want as high a ratio of HDL to LDL as possible, si...
Having a low ratio of LDL to HDL is healthier for your heart than a higher ratio; high LDL generally increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke, while high HDL decreases these risks.
With so many numbers flying around, and labels like "good" and "bad," it's easy to get confused about cholesterol levels. While you need to monitor your cholesterol ratio, you should also be aware of the individual cholesterol ...
Abnormally high levels of cholesterol, on the other hand, can be dangerous and increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Because not all forms of cholesterol affect you in the same way, looking at the ratio of diff...
Although a certain amount of cholesterol is necessary for your body to work properly, too much cholesterol increases your risk of developing cardiovascular problems. An optimal HDL to LDL ratio, which is a measurement of the re...
Your total cholesterol level may be a good indication of your risk of heart disease -- but knowing the ratio of your "good" HDL cholesterol to your "bad" LDL cholesterol levels may paint a more accurate picture. According to th...
Some of the cholesterol in your body is used to make bile, steroid hormones and cell membranes. Too much cholesterol, on the other hand, can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Your cholesterol levels and LDL...
When you have your cholesterol tested, your doctor may emphasize two particular cholesterols to consider, HDL and LDL. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, is the so-called "good" cholesterol to have. It picks up exces...
HDL is heart healthy, while LDL is not. For optimal health, your LDL to HDL ratio should be very low, meaning you should have little LDL and plenty of HDL.
Cholesterol can also come from your diet, and too much cholesterol can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular problems. One way of assessing your risk is to look at your ratio of two different forms of cholesterol, kno...
Your blood cholesterol levels can be reported using two different types of measurement. In the United States, your values will be reported in milligrams per deciliter or mg/dL. In Canada and Europe, the measurement for choleste...
There are different types of cholesterol in your body, and a common way to measure cholesterol is using a ratio, such as the HDL ratio.
Two important factors of the total cholesterol are high-density lipoprotein, sometimes called the "good" cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein, often called the "bad" cholesterol. Several different types of ratios are used t...
More than 35 million of these Americans had levels high enough to have a serious chance of developing cardiovascular disease. Maintaining the recommended ratio of HDL to LDL reduces your likelihood of suffering cholesterol-rela...
More than 102 million adults in the U.S. had high cholesterol in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 35 million of these Americans had levels imbalanced enough to put them at significant risk ...
You can reduce your risk for heart attack, kidney disease, Alzheimer's disease and other medical conditions by maintaining a good LDL to HDL cholesterol ratio. More than 102 million American adults had high blood cholesterol in...
More than 100 million adults in the United States have high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 35 million of these people have levels high enough to put them at risk for developing hea...
Your LDL and HDL levels affect your heart disease risk. You should be aware of what the normal cholesterol range is so you can take the appropriate steps to improve these numbers if needed. Exercising and eating a healthy diet ...
Cholesterol has turned into somewhat of a dirty word in the society, but the truth is your body needs cholesterol and it can be found in all your body's cells. When cholesterol levels are too high, it increases your risk for co...
Understanding the two types of cholesterol that occur in the body and their purpose is important to understanding your own health. It is also important to understand which risk factors are under your control and which are dicta...
Close to 75 percent is made naturally in the body and the other 25 percent comes from the food you eat. Cholesterol comes in two forms known as LDL and HDL cholesterol. High levels of overall cholesterol are associated with hea...
Cholesterol has an effect on other elements in the body. Cholesterol levels are one of the most important things to maintain at a healthy level for optimal health, according to the American Heart Association. High levels of cho...
One of the markers for a risk of heart disease is a high cholesterol reading, based on total cholesterol levels and the cholesterol components, LDL and HDL. But equally important is the ratio of cholesterol components to each o...
It is important to know your total blood cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol values to keep yourself healthy and lower the risk of heart disease. By knowing your HDL ratio, which is based on your total cholesterol ...
Once upon a time, the health community believed there was only one kind of cholesterol and that it was universally bad. Nutritionists now recognize that LDL and HDL are two different kinds of cholesterol that play a role in hea...
HDL is an acronym for high density lipoprotein--your body's transport system to move cholesterol around your body. HDL is often referred to as "good" cholesterol, as opposed to LDL, or low density lipoprotein that is known as "...
However, LDL is the "bad" cholesterol that is responsible for plaque buildup in the artery walls. Blockage inside the artery walls may limit the blood that circulates to the brain and heart. Calculating the HDL and LDL ratio he...
It is produced naturally in the liver and it can also be obtained from food. Your total cholesterol reading is based on HDL (high density lipoprotein) which is your good level, and LDL (low density lipoprotein) which is your ba...
