Cardiology

LDL Cholesterol Calculator (Friedewald)

Estimates LDL cholesterol from a standard lipid panel.

Parameters

mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL

LDL Cholesterol Calculator (Friedewald) Result

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FormulaLDL = Total Cholesterol - HDL - (Triglycerides / 5)

Clinical Pearls

Allows determination of the "bad cholesterol" without the expense and time of direct LDL testing.

Limitations

Invalid if Triglycerides > 400 mg/dL. Also tends to underestimate LDL at very low LDL levels (<70 mg/dL) or when TG are moderately elevated (150-399 mg/dL). Newer formulas (e.g. Martin-Hopkins) are becoming preferred in some labs.