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How To Calculate Ldl Cholesterol

How To Calculate Total Cholesterol

Fitness & Health Calculations : How to Calculate LDL Cholesterol

This article was medically reviewed by Victor Catania, MD. Dr. Catania is a board certified Family Medicine Physician in Pennsylvania. He received his MD from the Medical University of the Americas in 2012 and completed his residency in Family Medicine at the Robert Packer Hospital. He is a member of the American Board of Family Medicine.There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 11 testimonials and 83% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 187,970 times.

Note: In the information below, a lab test interpretation of the values may vary between labs and between doctors. Always view your lab results and speak to your doctor before coming to any conclusions about your lab test values.

How Do You Calculate Ldl And Non

The sum of Very Low Density Lipoprotein +LDL cholesterol is called non-HDL cholesterol. It is calculated routinely as total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol. In persons with elevated triglycerides , 200 – 499 mg/dL, most cholesterol occurring in the VLDL fraction is contained in the remnant VLDL, which is thought to be very atherogenic. The non-HDL-C level includes cholesterol carried in several atherogenic lipoproteins, such as LDL, very low-density lipoprotein , intermediate density lipoprotein , and lipoprotein ).

Therefore, in patients with elevated TG levels , treatment of the non-HDL-C level is a secondary target after the LDL-C target has been reached.

When triglycerides are 200 mg/dL, after LDL goal is reached, set secondary goal for non-HDL cholesterol for 30 mg/dL higher than LDL goal.

Question 7 My Patients Ldl Cholesterol Concentration Could Not Be Calculated Because The Triglycerides Were Too High What Options Do I Have For Getting An Ldl Cholesterol Concentration

If the LDL concentration could not be calculated because the triglyceride level was too high, direct LDL-C testing may be useful. Direct LDL measurement provides a reliable result even when triglyceride levels are up to 1,000 mg/dL. It can be ordered as a stand-alone test, as a reflex if the patients triglyceridelevel is likely to exceed 400 mg/dL, or as part of one of several panels. The table below lists tests and panels that include direct LDL-C measurement or reflex to direct LDL-C measurement when the triglyceride level is above 400 mg/dL:

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Question 5 How Does The Martin

Compared with the Friedewald equation, the Martin-Hopkins calculation provides better correlation with direct LDL-C measurements.3-7 Concordance with guideline-based risk classification, especially at high triglyceride and low LDL-C, is also superior using the Martin-Hopkins calculation.3-7 In the 2013 validation study mentioned above,4 the improvement was greatest for people with estimated LDL-C levels below 70 mg/dL, especially those with higher triglyceride levels . Thus, the primary advantage of the Martin-Hopkins equation is that it is applicable to low LDL-C levels even in the presence of elevated triglyceride concentrations.

The improved accuracy at low LDL-C allows more accurate assessment of patients in the high-risk categories undergoing aggressive treatment with low LDL goals. In addition, the ability to adjust for high triglyceride levels may improve reliability of LDL-C estimation when fasting is not desired or practical.8 This can be convenient for risk assessment, especially for patients who have difficulty fasting .8

Cholesterol Ratio Calculator Formula

Healthy Ldl/hdl Ratio

There are three signs that accurately predict your risk of heart disease. Theyre all dubbed cholesterol ratios because theyre built as ratios of the aforementioned blood values. Do you know what a good cholesterol ratio is? We can find the following numbers with this total cholesterol calculator:

  • Simply said, the LDL HDL ratio is the LDL level divided by the HDL level. One of the most widely used indicators of heart disease risk is the LDL HDL ratio. Below 2.0 is ideal below 5.0 is good above 5.0 is excessive.
  • Divide your triglyceride level by your HDL level to get your triglyceride HDL ratio. Its a less well-known metric, but its also used to assess the risk of a heart attack or stroke. The typical range for the triglyceride HDL ratio as measured in mg/dL is high: 4.0 6.0 , too high: 6.0 or above ideal: 2.0 or below.
  • The total cholesterol HDL ratio is calculated by dividing total cholesterol by HDL. The cholesterol HDL ratio is the worst of the three indications, and the American Heart Association advises against using it for diagnosis. Even so, you can use this figure to gain a rough sense of your health. ideal: less than 3.5 good: less than 5.0 bad: over 5.0

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How Does This Ldl Calculator Work

This health tool computes the LDL cholesterol value from the total cholesterol, HDL, triglyceride levels according to the two formulas used in these cases: the Friedewald and Iranian study . The second formula is often recommended when the triglyceride levels are lower than average, as in the case of those with a low carbohydrate diet.

For your convenience, the LDL calculator allows you to enter the three values in either mg/dL or mmol/L . You will be given the two results in the corresponding measurement unit so that you can further on interpret the results easily.

In case of the 1st tab “LDL in mg/dL” these are the equations used:

– The Friedewald formula: LDL = TC – HDL TG / 5.0

– The Iranian study formula: LDL = TC / 1.19 + TG / 1.9 HDL / 1.1 38

In case of the 2nd tab “LDL in mmol/L” these are the formulas behind the algorithm:

– The Friedewald equation: LDL = TC – HDL TG / 2.17

– The Iranian study method: LDL = TC / 1.19 + TG / 0.81 HDL / 1.1 0.98

How Total Cholesterol Is Measured

This is done using a blood test called a lipoprotein panel, which also measures your triglycerides. For this test, you provide a blood sample thats taken after youve fasted for 9 to 12 hours before your test.

Your total cholesterol score is calculated using the equation: HDL level + LDL level + 20% of your triglyceride level.

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How To Calculate Percent Reduction In Ldl Cholesterol

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How To Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Levels

Friedewald Equation for Calculation of LDL Cholesterol

Only foods of animal origin contain cholesterol. The richest sources are:

  • fatty meats
  • animal organs
  • shrimp
  • egg yolks
  • high-fat dairy products

You should also note that if you decide to cut fat from your diet completely, cholesterol will not normalize by itself.

There are some tips on how to maintain a normal cholesterol level:

  • Eat foods rich in soluble fiber.
  • Include the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
  • Quit smoking and excessive drinking, as alcohol and cholesterol levels are interrelated.
  • Restrict high-calorie sweet and fatty foods.
  • Engage in regular physical activity.
  • Lose excess weight and maintain a normal BMI.

Even people with high LDL levels can eat eggs and dairy products in moderation. However, it is recommended to restrict the number of egg yolks to up to three per week. For dairy products, it is advisable to choose low-fat or non-fat cheeses, yogurts, cottage cheese, and sour cream in order to have normal total cholesterol levels.

Interestingly, garlic has been shown to reduce liver cholesterol production. And oatmeal has a similar effect. Moreover, research relates the ketogenic diet and cholesterol levels. In fact, it has confirmed that this diet can help lower total cholesterol and LDL while increasing HDL levels.

A healthy diet is crucial, but it must be a lifelong change to ensure good results. Crash diets wont result in normal cholesterol levels for adults.

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Question 2 How Is Ldl

LDL-C is most often measured indirectly, using a calculation based on other blood lipid analytes. Historically, the Friedewald calculation2 has been the most common approach. This equation, developed in the 1970s, incorporates total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol , and triglyceride concentrations:

LDL-C = total cholesterol HDL-C ,

where triglycerides/5 is used to represent very low-density lipoprotein-C .

LDL-C concentration can also be measured directly or with newer equations. Quest Diagnostics uses the Martin-Hopkins calculation, as described below, which provides accurate quantitation even in patients with triglyceride values between 200 mg/dL and 400 mg/dL and LDL-C levels below 70 mg/dL.

Total Cholesterol Hdl Ratio Calculator

Our cholesterol ratio calculator considers four fundamental blood test results. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health set all the guideline limits. You just need to enter three of your results because the formula states they are interdependent:

Total cholesterol= HDL+ LDL+ 0.2 X triglycerides

  • Total cholesterol is merely a snapshot of your cholesterol status. It may be deceptive since it combines the amounts of good and bad cholesterol in your blood and may not provide enough information about the risks of heart disease.
  • Desirable: a concentration of less than 200 mg/dL
  • 200 239 mg/dL is borderline high.
  • 240 mg/dL and above is high.
  • The good cholesterol in your blood is HDL . In general, it is a kind of cholesterol that is transferred from various regions of the body to the liver, where it is metabolized and excreted with bile acids. As a result, this is the only form of cholesterol that should be kept elevated. HDL levels in women are greater than in men.
  • 60 mg/dL or higher is ideal.
  • 40-59 mg/dL
  • Heart disease risk: less than 40 mg/dL
  • Optimal: a concentration of less than 100 mg/dL
  • 100 129 mg/dL
  • 130-159 mg/dL is borderline high.
  • 160 189 mg/dL is high.
  • Extremely high: 190 mg/dL and above,
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    Ldl Cholesterol Calculator Using Friedewald Formula

    The Low density lipoprotein cholesterol calculation is made simple using this online LDL cholesterol calculator which works based on the friedewald formula. It provides an estimation of LDL cholesterol for most fasting specimens. The optimal ratio is less than 3.5-to-1. LDL cholesterol lower than 100 mg per dL is ideal. Enter the Total Cholesterol, HDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides in this calculator to find the resultant value.

    Question 4 How Does The Martin

    How to calculate your LDL Cholesterol?  HealthMatters.io ...

    The Martin-Hopkins calculation provides greater customization to a patients specific triglyceride level by using a more personalized factor to calculate VLDL-C from triglycerides.4 This adjustable factor, which can range from 3.1 to 11.9, was derived from an analysis of triglyceride-to-VLDL-C ratios in more than 1.3 million people.4 The factor is lowest for patients with very low levels of triglyceride and high levels of non-HDL-cholesterol , and highest for those with very high levels of triglyceride and low levels of non-HDL-cholesterol.

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    Calculating Your Total Cholesterol Level In 5 Simple Steps

    Cholesterol is essential for the metabolism of the human body. It helps the body repair cell membranes, make vitamin D, produce hormones and much more. However, high levels of this in the blood can increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease and subjecting to heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol is transported through the bloodstream by three lipoproteins. First, we have the low-density lipoprotein called bad because when in excess increase the risk of accumulating plaque in the arteries and blocking them. Second, we have the high-density lipoprotein considered good because it helps remove fat and extra cholesterol to return to the liver to be eliminated. And third, the very low-density lipoprotein that transport mostly triglycerides and like LDL also triggers plaque buildup on arterial walls. The total cholesterol is the sum of all these three components.

    How Does This Cholesterol Calculator Work

    This tool functions as a total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides and LDL calculator. Do you want to know whether your HDL, LDL levels or the TC/HDL ratio and LDL/ HDL ratio show an increased risk for heart disease?

    Use it then to check if your cholesterol levels are in the normal range. All you have to do is input the data from your medical documents.

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    Total Cholesterol Calculation In Mg/dl And Mmol/l

    Here is the medical calculator to calculate the amount of total cholesterol in millimoles/liters , based on the given inputs of high-density lipoprotein , low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride. Total cholesterol is the total blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a condition called as hypercholesterolemia, which is a cause for heart diseases. Enter the values of LDL, HDL, and Triglycerides in the total cholesterol calculator and click calculate.

    Formula:

    Understanding Strengths And Limitations Of Different Methods Of Ldl

    LDL calculation
    A
    A

    Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol remains a key contributor to plaque formation and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease . Measuring LDL-C by gold standard ultracentrifugation is time-intensive and expensive. As such, the Friedewald equation, an estimate of LDL-C initially intended for research purposes, has been utilized over the past 50 years as a primary method for clinically estimating LDL-C.1 The equation subtracts high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and a fixed ratio of triglycerides/5, an estimate of very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol , from total cholesterol to provide an estimate of LDL-C.

    Friedewald estimation, however, is prone to inaccuracies at high triglyceride and/or low LDL-C values where inaccuracy in VLDL-C estimation using a âone size fits all approachâ constitutes a larger proportion of estimated LDL-C. This subsequently leads to underestimation of calculated LDL-C.2-4 While this imprecision has been historically tolerated, the increased prevalence of high triglyceride states such as diabetes and obesity and novel lipid lowering medications such as PCSK9 inhibitors achieving even lower LDL-C levels provide impetus for improving precision in LDL-C estimation.

    Improvements and Updates

    However, direct LDL-C assays available commercially use proprietary chemical-based methods, not ultracentrifugation, and are not necessarily reliable. They are not standardized and, in some cases, can be even less accurate than the Friedewald equation.4,5

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    Is 255 Cholesterol Level Good Or Bad

    Using the data above, you can see that a 255 LDL Cholesterol level falls into the Very High category. There is also something called HDL Cholesterol, which is often referred to as good cholesterol. The higher the HDL Cholesterol the better. HDL Cholesterol levels of 60 mg/dL or more are considered good.

    What Happens If High Cholesterol Goes Untreated

    High blood levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides have been linked to the development of CVDs, along with other factors such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The risk of damage to the vascular walls and the formation of deposits and blockages increases when there is more bad and less good cholesterol in our blood. The good news is that the reduction in total cholesterol by 1% leads to a 2% reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

    Increased cholesterol levels may be caused by a familial predisposition as well, as is the case in about 3% of people. Usually, blood cholesterol is high from an early age and is unaffected by the diet. In these cases, specialists recommend taking lipid-lowering agents such as statins from a younger age. These drugs are prescribed and taken under medical supervision.

    However, it is a myth that lipid-lowering medication can be stopped as soon as your results are within the cholesterol and triglycerides normal range. The levels may be lowered, but if you stop taking the drug, the cholesterol, and especially LDL, will rise again. You should consult your doctor about any change in your treatment.

    In about20% of the population, high LDL cholesterol levels are associated with another underlying condition such as:

    • obesity
    • hypothyroidism
    • increased adrenal function

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    Question 8 Does Quest Offer Advanced Lipid Testing Options To Assess Ascvd Risk

    Yes. Aside from standard lipid profile tests, Quest offers several advanced lipid testing options, including measurement of LDL particle number and size. In a number of retrospective analyses, lipoprotein subfractions have been found to be associated with CVD events.9,10 Additionally, particle numbers as determined by ion mobility were found to be a significant determinant in defining residual risk.11 Quest uses ion mobility separation of subfractions for these measurements. The ion mobility method directly measures particle size and concentration, unlike other approaches that use algorithms to indirectly calculate lipid subfractions.12 And, unlike some methods, ion mobility separation of subfractions does not cause lipoprotein modification that could potentially affect the accuracy of the assay.10,13 Ion mobility has been used in multiple lipoprotein studies9,10,14 and is the method used in the Cardio IQ Lipoprotein Fractionation, Ion Mobility test .

    References

  • Stone NJ, Robinson JG, Lichtenstein AH, et al. 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2014 129:S1-45.
  • Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS. Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem. 1972 18:499-502.
  • About Cholesterol Testing And The Lipid Panel:

    LDL Cholesterol Calculator

    This kind of test is one of routine based on a simple blood sample from you. The health professional will take a sample of your blood that will further be analyzed in a laboratory and in about 24 hours the results will be ready.

    However, there are some rules you need to respect to make sure that the test will be properly done. The usual cholesterol tests require a period of 9-12 hours of fasting before the blood is drawn and avoidance of strenuous effort before the test.

    If you are consuming food or beverages then the test will only provide total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol values because the LDL and triglyceride levels are influenced by the food recently consumed.

    You should also inform your doctor about any medical conditions you have, any medical treatment you are following or other details that you consider relevant and that could interfere with the results of the test.

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