Enter your lipid panel’s total cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides — get estimates of VLDL, LDL (Friedewald), non-HDL, and three lipid ratios, complete with a formula validity flag and the NCEP ATP III target table.
Panel: total cholesterol 180 mg/dL, HDL 50 mg/dL, triglycerides 150 mg/dL (below 400 mg/dL, so Friedewald is valid).
VLDL = TG ÷ 5 = 150 ÷ 5 = 30.0 mg/dL
LDL = total − HDL − VLDL = 180 − 50 − 30 = 100.0 mg/dL
Non-HDL = total − HDL = 180 − 50 = 130.0 mg/dL
Total/HDL ratio = 180 ÷ 50 = 3.60
| Category | mg/dL | mmol/L |
|---|---|---|
| Optimal | <100 | 2.59 |
| Near optimal | 100–129 | 2.59–3.34 |
| Borderline high | 130–159 | 3.36–4.11 |
| High | 160–189 | 4.14–4.89 |
| Very high | ≥190 | 4.91 |
| Category | mg/dL | mmol/L |
|---|---|---|
| Desirable | <200 | 5.17 |
| Borderline high | 200–239 | 5.17–6.18 |
| High | ≥240 | 6.21 |
| Category | mg/dL | mmol/L |
|---|---|---|
| Low | <40 | 1.03 |
| Normal | 40–59 | 1.03–1.53 |
| High (protective) | ≥60 | 1.55 |
| Category | mg/dL | mmol/L |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | <150 | 1.69 |
| Borderline high | 150–199 | 1.69–2.25 |
| High | 200–499 | 2.26–5.63 |
| Very high | ≥500 | 5.65 |
| Category | mg/dL | mmol/L |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | ≤30 | 0.78 |
| Elevated | >30 | >0.78 |
Note: unlike LDL, VLDL has no clinical cutoff standardized as strictly as LDL in ATP III; the ≤30 mg/dL cutoff is a general reference used by laboratories and clinical calculators.
The Friedewald equation was derived and validated on fasting samples (chylomicron-free). Triglycerides rise after eating, so estimated VLDL becomes too high and estimated LDL too low. Follow your laboratory’s fasting instructions (usually 9–12 hours) so the estimates stay close to the original validation conditions.
Friedewald LDL is an estimate calculated from total cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides — inexpensive and the laboratory standard for decades. Direct LDL is measured directly with enzymatic methods without assuming a TG:VLDL ratio. Direct measurement is preferred when triglycerides are ≥400 mg/dL, chylomicrons are present, or in type III hyperlipoproteinemia — conditions where the Friedewald assumption does not hold.
VLDL is the main carrier of triglycerides from the liver to body tissues, and some VLDL becomes LDL in circulation. High VLDL almost always means high triglycerides, and VLDL remnant particles are atherogenic — they can accumulate in blood vessel walls. That is why non-HDL (total minus HDL), which covers VLDL and LDL together, is used as a secondary target in the NCEP ATP III guidelines.
At triglycerides ≥400 mg/dL (≥4.52 mmol/L), the fixed divisor of 5 no longer reflects the true triglyceride-to-VLDL-cholesterol ratio, so estimated VLDL is too high and estimated LDL too low. This calculator does not report Friedewald LDL under that condition. Recognized alternatives: the Martin-Hopkins equation (2013, divisor adjustable based on triglycerides and non-HDL) and the Sampson equation (2020, extended form), or direct LDL measurement in a lab.
The divisor of 5 applies to mg/dL. If triglycerides in mmol/L are first converted to mg/dL (multiplied by 88.57), divided by 5, and the result converted back to mmol/L (divided by 38.67), the combined factor is 88.57 ÷ 5 ÷ 38.67 ≈ 2.2. So VLDL (mmol/L) = triglycerides (mmol/L) ÷ 2.2 is the equivalent form, with conventional rounding.
Non-HDL = total cholesterol minus HDL, covering all atherogenic cholesterol (LDL + VLDL + IDL + remnants). The NCEP ATP III guidelines make it a secondary target, set 30 mg/dL above the LDL target. The total/HDL, LDL/HDL, and TG/HDL ratios are composite indicators: smaller values generally reflect a better profile, but interpretation still requires clinical context from a doctor.
No. This calculator only computes estimates from the numbers you enter, using the assumptions of the 1972 Friedewald equation. It does not diagnose, does not determine treatment, and does not replace laboratory testing or a doctor’s assessment. Bring your official lipid panel results to your medical consultation.
Formula reference: 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(6):499-502. Klasifikasi: NCEP Adult Treatment Panel III, JAMA 2001.
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