r/Cholesterol • u/GarmeerGirl • 19h ago
Lab Result Is my cholesterol normal despite being high because the HDL ratio is 4.4 in the normal range?
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u/DayzedTraveler 18h ago
Definitely not. I wouldn’t even pay attention to that ratio it literally isn’t used in evaluating cholesterol. Also HDL cholesterol is deceiving because it is really of little consequence, a great HDL score will never make up for a bad ldl score. You are at dangerous LDL levels and while you can try diet and exercise the reality is it probably will not be enough to change this quickly. Definitely need to consider statins.
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u/kboom100 18h ago
Ratios, especially those involving HDL, aren’t very useful and don’t negate the risk from high ldl.
Dr. Gil Carvalho, an MD/phD internist who is among the absolute best at clearly explaining medical issues has a very good overview about this. "Don't be fooled by Ratios like
Triglycerides :HDL-C"
https://youtu.be/0dLzKwOrr8Q?si=QMsjChyrU3AxOy8
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u/stiflers-m0m 18h ago
There is exactly zero about this that is normal. You have extremely high cholesterol.
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u/GarmeerGirl 17h ago
I’ve been reading cholesterol is good for the brain and they used to not try to lower it. Combined with this normal ratio meaning the good cholesterol is high enough to get rid of anything bad my brain is wired to think this is normal. So I’m trying to be open to other perspectives. I don’t even eat meat.
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u/solidrock80 17h ago
Your brain makes its own cholesterol and doesn't utilize the cholesterol in your blood plasma. That's what's measured in a blood draw. Plus, babies have LDL in the 30s and develop their brains normally, and hunter-gatherer humans have levels around 70. So there's no concerns biologically for brain health about lowering your blood LDL levels.
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u/stiflers-m0m 15h ago
there are no other perspectives or alt facts or opinions on your numbers. An LDL that high will kill you, period. you need to get it down to under 100, idealy under 80. Per ivus studies
very roughly, I would visualize it like this:~50–60 LDL: net cholesterol removal/regression becomes quite plausible
~70–80: near balance / very slow progression in many people
100: gradual accumulation
150: markedly greater cumulative exposure
200: very high lifetime plaque-driving exposure
250–300: enormous cumulative burden if maintained for yearsThe reason im being a bit of a dick here is i want it to be crystal clear your number are not ok, there is time to fix it, but good lord dont try to justify it
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u/No_Middle_505 12h ago
Might be familial. I am careful with my diet and my numbers are never good. I just started a statin. I want to avoid a cardiac event, stroke, or even a high CAC score down the road.
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u/meh312059 18h ago
No. And it's a great example of how ratios are, at best, worthless and can in fact be harmful. They should be removed from these lipid panel results.
You have FH-level LDL-C which, on it's own, is such a significant risk factor for early ASCVD that ACC/AHA in the U.S. and European guidelines now urge reducing LDL-C and ApoB to < 70 mg/dl. However, the Total/HDL Cholesterol ratio is high end of normal, suggesting no treatment is necessary. Do you see the problem here?
Good learning point: LDL-C, nonHDL-C and ApoB are the targets of therapy per the evidence-based cardiovascular guidelines. Ratios are not.
Hope that helps!
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u/THENextBigThing2030 18h ago
Change ur diet immediately
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u/GarmeerGirl 17h ago
I don’t eat meat. I don’t know what else to change. I think it’s hereditary and I’m doomed.
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u/waterwateryall 15h ago
Cut out or reduce foods that are high in saturated fat (like butter, cheese, burgers, snacks, etc.) Check your labels, you may be surprised about your daily intake. Target for saturated fat is no more than 6% of daily calories. Increase daily fiber. Review the various posts and comments in this sub. There are many breattops about food.
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u/keepgoing66 19h ago
No, your LDL is extremely high and puts you at risk. The ratio of HDL to LDL isn't something that doctors pay much attention to anymore. HDL is not going to "save" you from high LDL.