Cholesterol Ratio Calculator

Enter the numbers from one lipid panel to get your cholesterol/HDL ratio, non-HDL cholesterol and triglyceride/HDL ratio. It runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere.

Cholesterol ratio = total cholesterol ÷ HDL. A total of 200 mg/dL with HDL of 50 gives 4.0. Mayo Clinic calls a ratio under 5 normal and under 3.5 ideal. The ratio is the same in mg/dL and mmol/L. The triglyceride/HDL ratio is not, which is why this calculator asks for your unit.

4 ratios from one panel US and SI units Nothing leaves your browser

Units on your report

Total cholesterol (mg/dL)

HDL cholesterol (mg/dL)

Triglycerides (mg/dL)

LDL cholesterol, optional (mg/dL)

Enter at least total cholesterol and HDL. Add triglycerides for the TG/HDL ratio and LDL for the LDL/HDL ratio. Everything is computed locally in your browser.

What each ratio means

Only one of these four numbers has a guideline target, and it is non-HDL cholesterol. The other three are summaries. The table says where each cut-off comes from, so you can weigh it.

Value	How it is calculated	Cut-off	Where the cut-off comes from
Cholesterol / HDL	Total cholesterol ÷ HDL	Under 5 normal, under 3.5 ideal	Mayo Clinic. Not a guideline treatment target.
Non-HDL cholesterol	Total cholesterol − HDL	Under 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L) optimal	NCEP ATP III set it at the LDL goal plus 30 mg/dL. The 2018 AHA/ACC guideline uses non-HDL in risk assessment.
Triglycerides / HDL	Triglycerides ÷ HDL	3.0 or more in mg/dL (about 1.3 in mmol/L)	A research cut-off for insulin resistance in overweight adults (McLaughlin, 2003). Not a guideline target.
LDL / HDL	LDL ÷ HDL	None	No guideline sets one. Guidelines treat LDL directly.

The non-HDL bands in this calculator are the ones FixFirst's analyzer applies to an uploaded report: under 130 optimal, 130 to 159 above optimal, 160 to 189 high, 190 to 219 very high, and 220 mg/dL or more flagged for an appointment.

The triglyceride/HDL ratio changes with your units

This is the one ratio where mg/dL and mmol/L give different answers from the same blood.

Total cholesterol, HDL and LDL all convert between mg/dL and mmol/L with the same factor, 38.67. Divide one by another and the factor cancels, so the cholesterol/HDL ratio is identical on a US or a UK report.

Triglycerides convert with a different factor, 88.57, because a triglyceride molecule is heavier than cholesterol. The factor no longer cancels. The same blood gives a TG/HDL ratio about 2.3 times higher in mg/dL than in mmol/L.

The 3.0 cut-off quoted across the internet comes from a Stanford study of 258 overweight adults whose values were in mg/dL. A UK reader with triglycerides of 1.4 mmol/L and HDL of 1.0 mmol/L gets a ratio of 1.4 and may read it as comfortably low. In mg/dL terms it is 3.2, above the cut-off. The calculator judges every result on the mg/dL basis and shows you both numbers.

Converting a TG/HDL ratio

mg/dL ratio = mmol/L ratio × 88.57 ÷ 38.67 ≈ mmol/L ratio × 2.29

1.4 mmol/L ratio × 2.29 = 3.2 on the mg/dL basis

Worked example: a panel with one flag

Total cholesterol 190, HDL 40, triglycerides 160, LDL 118, all in mg/dL. Most reports would flag only the triglycerides, as borderline.

Cholesterol / HDL = 190 ÷ 40 = 4.75
Non-HDL = 190 − 40 = 150 mg/dL
Triglycerides / HDL = 160 ÷ 40 = 4.0
LDL / HDL = 118 ÷ 40 = 2.95

Each number on its own looks close to fine. Put together, the ratios point the same way. The cholesterol/HDL ratio is inside the normal range but well above ideal. Non-HDL cholesterol is above the 130 target. The TG/HDL ratio of 4.0 is above the 3.0 research cut-off.

Low HDL with raised triglycerides is the lipid pattern that travels with insulin resistance. It is a reason to check fasting glucose, HbA1c and, if you can, fasting insulin. Our HOMA-IR calculator turns glucose and insulin into an insulin resistance score, and the high glucose with high triglycerides guide covers what to test next.

Ratio or non-HDL: which one matters more?

Current US guidelines do not use any of these ratios as a treatment target. The 2018 AHA/ACC cholesterol guideline sets decisions on LDL cholesterol and on overall cardiovascular risk, and uses non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B as extra information, especially when triglycerides are high. Mayo Clinic notes that many clinicians now find non-HDL cholesterol more useful than the ratio.

The ratios still earn their place as summaries. They show when a total cholesterol that looks acceptable is carried by low HDL rather than healthy HDL. The ratio can't tell you which number to work on. That is what the individual values are for. If you only have LDL left to work out, the LDL calculator takes the same three inputs.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate the cholesterol HDL ratio?

Divide your total cholesterol by your HDL cholesterol. A total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL with an HDL of 50 mg/dL gives a ratio of 4.0. The ratio comes out the same in mg/dL and mmol/L, because both values convert with the same factor.

What is a normal chol to HDL ratio?

Mayo Clinic describes a total cholesterol to HDL ratio under 5 as normal and under 3.5 as ideal. No major guideline sets the ratio as a treatment target. The 2018 AHA/ACC cholesterol guideline works from LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and overall risk instead.

Is a cholesterol HDL ratio of 4.7 good?

A ratio of 4.7 sits inside the range Mayo Clinic calls normal (under 5) but above the ideal of 3.5. The ratio can't tell you which number is driving it. Check your non-HDL cholesterol and LDL: a high LDL and a low HDL both push the ratio up, and they are handled differently.

Is chol/HDL ratio more important than total cholesterol?

It tells you more than total cholesterol alone, because total cholesterol counts protective HDL alongside LDL. But current US guidelines treat LDL and non-HDL cholesterol as the numbers to act on, and Mayo Clinic notes many clinicians now prefer non-HDL cholesterol to the ratio.

What does a TG/HDL ratio of 3.6 mean?

If both values were in mg/dL, 3.6 is above the 3.0 cut-off that McLaughlin and colleagues (Annals of Internal Medicine, 2003) linked to insulin resistance in overweight adults. It is a research cut-off, not a diagnosis. If your values were in mmol/L, 3.6 is far higher than it looks: it equals about 8.2 in mg/dL terms.

Why is my TG/HDL ratio different in mmol/L?

Triglycerides and HDL convert between mg/dL and mmol/L with different factors (88.57 and 38.67), so the same blood gives a TG/HDL ratio about 2.3 times higher in mg/dL than in mmol/L. The 3.0 research cut-off applies to the mg/dL ratio. In mmol/L it is about 1.3.

References & Guidelines

Note: This calculator is for information and does not replace medical advice. Use values from a single blood draw. Ratios summarise a lipid panel but are not how cardiovascular risk is assessed on their own.

Four ratios from one panel

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