Cholesterol Ratio & LDL
TC/HDL ratio, non-HDL and Friedewald LDL from a lipid panel
🔒 Stays local · Method · · Disclaimer · Cholesterol Ratio & LDL
Working out TC/HDL ratio, non-HDL and Friedewald LDL from a lipid panel is easier with Cholesterol Ratio & LDL, which answers as you type. You supply Total Cholesterol (mg/dL), HDL (mg/dL) and Triglycerides (mg/dL) to Cholesterol Ratio & LDL; the answer follows at once. Every Cholesterol Ratio & LDL answer can be reproduced by hand. Students and professionals reach for Cholesterol Ratio & LDL when speed matters. Nothing typed into Cholesterol Ratio & LDL leaves your device or the tab. Cholesterol Ratio & LDL sits in the Health section next to free online cholesterol ratio & ldl calculator and cholesterol ratio calculator ldl non hdl friedewald. Cholesterol Ratio & LDL goes from question to answer fast. Start with Cholesterol Ratio & LDL; the first number takes seconds.
What the defaults give
Total cholesterol 200, HDL 50 and triglycerides 150 give a TC/HDL ratio of 4.0, non-HDL of 150 mg/dL and LDL of 120 mg/dL.
The ratio is labelled borderline: the tool aims for under 3.5.
Three numbers from one panel
TC/HDL ratio = total cholesterol ÷ HDL
Non-HDL = total cholesterol − HDL
LDL (Friedewald) = TC − HDL − triglycerides ÷ 5
The ratio compresses the panel into one figure: how much of your cholesterol is carried by the protective HDL particle. Non-HDL is the total of every atherogenic particle, which is why many guidelines prefer it to LDL alone. The Friedewald estimate works backwards from the other three numbers instead of measuring LDL directly, which is why it is cheap and why it drifts.
Worked examples
200 / 50 / 150 → ratio 4.0, non-HDL 150, LDL 120
400 / 50 / 150 → ratio 8.0, non-HDL 350, LDL 320
200 / 25 / 150 → ratio 8.0, non-HDL 175, LDL 145
200 / 100 / 150 → ratio 2.0, non-HDL 100, LDL 70
200 / 50 / 300 → ratio 4.0, non-HDL 150, LDL 90
The last row is the one that catches people out. Raising triglycerides lowers the calculated LDL, because the formula subtracts triglycerides divided by five. That is not a health improvement — it is an artefact of the estimate, and it is why Friedewald is unreliable when triglycerides are high.
What the thresholds mean
The tool bands the ratio as optimal below 3.5, borderline around 4 and high risk above 5. Non-HDL is compared with a target under 130 mg/dL. These are population reference points, not personal targets: someone with diabetes, existing heart disease or a strong family history is usually treated to tighter numbers than someone without.
HDL matters as much as the total. Two people with identical total cholesterol can have very different ratios, and the one with the higher HDL usually has the better profile. That is the argument for looking at the ratio rather than the total alone.
Limits
Friedewald is invalid when triglycerides exceed about 400 mg/dL, and it assumes a fixed relationship between VLDL and triglycerides that is not true for everyone. Direct LDL measurement or a full lipoprotein panel is more accurate in that range. Non-HDL needs no such assumption and stays usable.
This is arithmetic on numbers from a lab report, not a diagnosis. Discuss the result with the clinician who ordered the test, alongside blood pressure, smoking status, age and family history — none of which appear in any ratio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good TC/HDL ratio?
The tool treats under 3.5 as optimal, around 4 as borderline and above 5 as high risk. At 200 total and 50 HDL the ratio is 4.0.
Why did my LDL fall when triglycerides rose?
Friedewald subtracts triglycerides divided by five. Higher triglycerides therefore lower the calculated LDL even though nothing improved.
What is non-HDL cholesterol?
Total cholesterol minus HDL. It counts every atherogenic particle, which is why many guidelines use a target under 130 mg/dL rather than LDL alone.
When is the Friedewald formula unreliable?
Above roughly 400 mg/dL of triglycerides, and whenever the VLDL-to-triglyceride relationship is atypical. Direct LDL measurement is better there.
Can I use this instead of a doctor?
No. It is arithmetic on a lab panel. Risk depends on blood pressure, smoking, age, diabetes and family history, none of which this calculation sees.
Free Water Deficit Calculator and other Health tools
Free Water Deficit Calculator · BMR Calculator · Ovulation Calculator · Blood Pressure Category · Navy Body Fat Calculator · Body Type Calculator · Health Guides