The computation reflecting the relationship between total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) provides an assessment of cardiovascular risk. It is derived by dividing total cholesterol by the HDL value. The resulting figure offers insight, supplementing standard lipid panel results.
Assessing this relationship offers a more nuanced perspective than individual cholesterol component values alone. Elevated figures may indicate an increased likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases, prompting further investigation and lifestyle modifications. Historically, reliance on total cholesterol led to incomplete risk evaluation, prompting the development and use of this more refined metric.