Triglyceride to HDL ratio

Here is the triglyceride to HDL ratio in both units, with a note on what it can and cannot tell you.

Your details

Triglycerides 1.7 ÷ HDL 1.2 (mmol/L)

1.42

ratio in mmol/L units

Same ratio in US mg/dL units3.24
Triglycerides in mg/dL151
HDL in mg/dL46
HDL against the NHS guide for womenat or above 1.2
Add your waistto check the hypertriglyceridaemic waist pattern
Add your total cholesterolto see non-HDL cholesterol and an LDL estimate

There is no UK guideline line for this ratio. In one US study of overweight adults (McLaughlin 2003), a ratio of 3.0 or more in mg/dL units (about 1.3 in mmol/L) picked out insulin resistance about two times in three, so treat it as a talking point, not a test result.

If a result worries you, ask your GP surgery or practice nurse to talk it through. Call 111 if you feel unwell and are not sure what to do.

The working

Triglycerides 1.7, HDL 1.2

1.7 ÷ 1.2 = 1.42 in UK units. US websites quote it in mg/dL, where triglycerides are 1.7 x 88.57 = 151 and HDL is 1.2 x 38.67 = 46, giving 3.24. Same blood, a ratio 2.29 times bigger, which is why online cut offs often look alarming.

Triglyceride levels

What NICE does

Triglycerides	NICE NG238
4.5 to 9.9 mmol/L	heart risk tools may underestimate risk
10 to 20 mmol/L	repeat fasting within 2 weeks and look for causes
over 20 mmol/L	urgent specialist review, unless alcohol or poor sugar control explains it

Waist too

The hypertriglyceridaemic waist

A larger waist together with raised triglycerides is a cheap sign of fat stored around the organs. In EPIC-Norfolk, a UK study of 21,787 adults aged 45 to 79 followed for about 10 years (Arsenault 2010), the pattern was a waist of 90 cm or more with triglycerides of 2.0 mmol/L or more in men, and 85 cm with 1.5 mmol/L in women. Men with it had 2.4 times the rate of coronary heart disease and women 3.8 times, before allowing for other risks. Add your waist to check. HDL is also compared with the NHS guide of 1.0 mmol/L or more for men and 1.2 for women.

About the ratio

A note on the evidence

McLaughlin and colleagues (2003) found a ratio of 3.0 or more in mg/dL units picked out insulin resistance in overweight adults about two times in three. The paper printed 1.8 as the SI equivalent, but the unit conversion gives about 1.3, so check the units on any cut off you see.

Non-HDL, LDL and your trend

Add your total cholesterol and we take away HDL to give non-HDL cholesterol, which NICE uses for heart risk and treatment, and which the NHS suggests keeping under 4 mmol/L. With total 5.2, HDL 1.2 and triglycerides 1.7, non-HDL is 4.0, and the Friedewald estimate of LDL is 5.2 minus 1.2 minus 1.7 ÷ 2.2 = 3.2 mmol/L (not worked out with triglycerides of 4.5 or more). Add an earlier ratio and we show the change: from 1.80 to 1.42 is down 21%.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Diagnose insulin resistanceNo single ratio can.
Apply a UK cut offThere is not one.
Use a non fasting triglyceride for the 10 to 20 bandNICE asks for a fasting repeat.

Questions

Common questions

What is a good triglyceride to HDL ratio?

There is no UK guideline figure. A US study used 3.0 in mg/dL units, about 1.3 in mmol/L, as a rough marker in overweight adults.

How do I convert the ratio from mmol/L to mg/dL?

Multiply by 2.29, because triglycerides and HDL convert by different factors.

What brings triglycerides down?

Less alcohol and sugar, more activity and weight loss if needed. Very high levels need your GP.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Talk your results through

If a result worries you, book a chat with your GP or practice nurse, or ask a pharmacist. Call NHS 111 if you feel unwell and are not sure what to do, and 999 in an emergency.