This calculator gives general estimates for information only. It does not replace advice from your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional.
What the numbers on a lipid panel mean
A standard lipid panel measures total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol that carries cholesterol back to the liver) and triglycerides. The figure your doctor cares most about, LDL cholesterol, is often not measured directly: the lab calculates it from the other three. This calculator does the same, so you can check a result or see how a change in triglycerides affects it.
The formulas
- Friedewald (1972): LDL = total cholesterol − HDL − triglycerides ÷ 5, in mg/dL. It is the classic formula, valid when triglycerides are below 400 mg/dL.
- Sampson (NIH, 2020): LDL = TC ÷ 0.948 − HDL ÷ 0.971 − (TG ÷ 8.56 + TG × non-HDL ÷ 2,140 − TG² ÷ 16,100) − 9.44. It stays more accurate when triglycerides are high or LDL is low, and a growing number of labs now use it.
- Non-HDL cholesterol = total cholesterol − HDL. It counts every cholesterol-carrying particle that can clog arteries and needs no fasting.
Worked example: 200 / 50 / 150 mg/dL
- Friedewald: 200 − 50 − 150 ÷ 5 = 120 mg/dL (3.10 mmol/L).
- Sampson: about 123 mg/dL.
- Non-HDL: 200 − 50 = 150 mg/dL.
- Total ÷ HDL ratio: 200 ÷ 50 = 4.0; triglycerides ÷ HDL: 150 ÷ 50 = 3.0.
LDL categories
| LDL | Category |
|---|---|
| Below 100 mg/dL | Optimal |
| 100–129 | Near optimal |
| 130–159 | Borderline high |
| 160–189 | High |
| 190 or more | Very high |
These are the traditional categories. Current US guidelines set treatment decisions on your overall 10-year risk, which also depends on age, blood pressure, diabetes and smoking. People who already had a heart attack or stroke are often given a target below 70 mg/dL, sometimes 55 mg/dL.
How triglycerides change the estimate (TC 200, HDL 50)
| Triglycerides | Friedewald | Sampson |
|---|---|---|
| 50 mg/dL | 140 | 141 |
| 100 | 130 | 132 |
| 150 | 120 | 123 |
| 200 | 110 | 115 |
| 300 | 90 | 100 |
The higher the triglycerides, the more the Friedewald formula underestimates LDL, which is why the newer equation exists.
Units
Outside the US, results are often in mmol/L. Divide cholesterol in mg/dL by 38.67, and triglycerides by 88.57. The calculator accepts mg/dL, mmol/L and g/L for each value.