Today, the triglyceride/HDL ratio is believed to be one of the most powerful predictors of heart disease.

In adults, the triglyceride/HDL to "good" cholesterol ratio should be less than 2 (just divide your triglyceride level by your HDL cholesterol).

Or more precisely, the triglyceride/HDL ratio:
- 2 - ideal
- 4 - high
- 6 - too high.

And, because HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is protective against heart disease, the lower the ratio, the better the prognosis (i.e., life expectancy without heart attacks).
In other words, the lower your triglycerides, or the higher your HDL, the smaller this ratio becomes.
An author of a major Harvard study said, "High triglycerides alone increased the risk of heart attack almost threefold. And subjects wit