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LDL cholesterol calculator
Enter three numbers from your lipid panel and get your calculated LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-HDL cholesterol. It uses the Friedewald formula and works when triglycerides are under 400 mg/dL.
Use the numbers from a standard lipid panel. The formula (LDL-C = total − HDL-C − triglycerides ÷ 5) loses accuracy when triglycerides reach 400 mg/dL or higher. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Calculated LDL-C
120 mg/dL
Near optimal
Non-HDL cholesterol
150 mg/dL
Near optimal
Total cholesterol minus HDL. It stays accurate when triglycerides are too high for the LDL-C formula.
How do you calculate LDL cholesterol?
Subtract HDL and one fifth of your triglycerides from your total cholesterol, all in mg/dL. A total of 200, HDL of 50 and triglycerides of 150 gives an LDL-C of 120 mg/dL. Non-HDL cholesterol (total minus HDL) is 150 mg/dL in that example.
What do I do with the result?
Compare it with the goal for your risk, then see what food, activity and medicine can do. The how to lower LDL guide shows what each change is worth, and the risk simulator shows what lowering LDL does for 100 people like you. LDL misses some risk, so ask about apoB and Lp(a) too.
Common questions
▸How is LDL cholesterol calculated on a standard lipid panel?
Most labs don't measure LDL-C directly. They measure total cholesterol, HDL-C and triglycerides, then calculate LDL-C. The classic method is the Friedewald formula: LDL-C = total cholesterol minus HDL-C minus (triglycerides divided by 5), in mg/dL. This calculator uses that formula.
▸Why might my lab's LDL differ from this calculator?
Many labs now use newer equations, such as Martin-Hopkins or the NIH (Sampson) equation, which are more accurate than Friedewald when LDL is low or triglycerides are high. Some labs also measure LDL-C directly. Small differences are normal, and your lab report is the number to use.
▸Why can't LDL-C be calculated when triglycerides are high?
The Friedewald formula assumes a fairly fixed relationship between triglycerides and VLDL cholesterol. That assumption breaks down at 400 mg/dL and above, and the calculated LDL-C becomes unreliable. At that level, a lab needs to measure LDL-C directly, or you can use non-HDL cholesterol.
▸What is non-HDL cholesterol, and why does it matter?
Non-HDL cholesterol equals total cholesterol minus HDL. It captures LDL plus the other potentially harmful particles (VLDL and remnant lipoproteins) in one number, and it stays accurate even when triglycerides are high.
▸Does this calculator replace a lab test?
No. It estimates LDL-C and non-HDL cholesterol from values already on your lab report, for education. It doesn't replace a blood test, a directly measured LDL-C, or a conversation with a clinician about what your numbers mean for you.
Not medical advice. General education. lipid.site is not a healthcare provider. Talk to your clinician about what your numbers mean for you.