Calculating LDL Cholesterol

What is the LDL Cholesterol Calculator?

The calculation of LDL cholesterol is the detection of LDL levels in the blood.
For the calculation of LDL cholesterol the so-called Friedewald formula is used, for which knowledge of the values ​​of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides is essential. According to the Friedewald formula, in fact, the calculation of LDL cholesterol is obtained through the formula:

LDL cholesterol = total cholesterol - [HDL + cholesterol (triglyceridemia / 5)]

Many laboratories limit themselves to detecting the plasma concentration of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, then calculating the LDL cholesterol using the Friedewald formula.

If your laboratory has not provided you with the exact LDL cholesterol value, you can know it in a few moments using our calculation module. However, this data will be 100% reliable only if the plasma concentration of triglycerides is lower than 300 mg / dl .

Enter total cholesterol (mg / dl) *TO Enter HDL cholesterol (mg / dl) * B Enter triglycerides (mg / dl) * C

LDL cholesterol mg / dl Risk index (total cholesterol / HDL cholesterol) *AND

What are LDLs? A brief review

LDL (or Low Density Lipoproteins) are a particular class of proteins that have the task of transporting cholesterol synthesized in the liver to the cells of the body. LDLs are an important indicator of a person's state of health: their increase compared to the values ​​considered normal, in fact, is associated with the deleterious accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries. Due to the associated health problems, LDL is also known as "bad cholesterol".

Reference Values ​​for the Healthy Person

A - Total cholesterol: less than 200 mg / dl.

B - Good cholesterol (HDL): greater than 50 mg / dl.

C - Triglyceridemia: less than or equal to 150 mg / dl.

D - Bad cholesterol (LDL): optimal value below 100 mg / dl; almost optimal value between 100 and 129 mg / dl **.

E - Risk index (total cholesterol / HDL): less than 5 for men or 4.5 for women.

Calculate your ideal LDL cholesterol values

Currently, data E is given greater importance, since the proportion between total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol is a better index of cardiovascular risk, compared to the simple evaluation of total cholesterol. It is therefore advisable to evaluate this ratio using this online calculation form.

** The value of bad cholesterol (LDL) must be less than 70 mg / dl in patients with high cardiovascular risk, such as diabetics and those who have already undergone clinical manifestations related to atherosclerosis (heart attack, angina pectoris, stroke, intermittent claudication) or has a strong familiarity with such pathologies.

See also: LDL / HDL ratio