Non-HDL Cholesterol Calculator
Non-HDL Cholesterol Calculator
Subtract HDL from total cholesterol to get the cholesterol carried in every atherogenic particle — a measure that needs no fasting sample and no assumption about VLDL.
Non-HDL Cholesterol
2 inputs → mg/dLTotal cholesterol 210 mg/dL, HDL cholesterol 48 mg/dL
Formula
- non-HDL-C
- the cholesterol carried in every apolipoprotein B-containing particle: LDL, VLDL, IDL, remnants and Lp(a)
- + 30 mg/dL
- each non-HDL target sits 30 mg/dL (0.8 mmol/L) above the corresponding LDL target
- no fasting
- both terms are measured directly, so no assumption about VLDL is needed and the sample need not be fasting
Worked example
Total cholesterol 210 mg/dL, HDL cholesterol 48 mg/dL
210 − 48 = 162 mg/dL
Between 160 and 190 → borderline high
Equivalent to an LDL target band of 130 – 159 mg/dL
Non-HDL targets are 30 mg/dL above the matching LDL target
| LDL-C target (mg/dL) | Non-HDL-C target (mg/dL) | Typical setting |
|---|---|---|
| < 160 | < 190 | Low absolute risk |
| < 130 | < 160 | Moderate risk |
| < 100 | < 130 | High risk |
| < 70 | < 100 | Very high risk / secondary prevention |
Non-HDL compared with LDL and apolipoprotein B
| What it counts | Fasting needed | Valid at high triglycerides | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculated LDL-C | Cholesterol in LDL only, estimated | Yes | No — invalid at ≥ 400 mg/dL |
| Non-HDL-C | Cholesterol in all apoB particles, measured | No | Yes |
| Apolipoprotein B | Number of atherogenic particles | No | Yes |
Why non-HDL is often the better number
Non-HDL cholesterol is total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol, and what remains is the cholesterol carried in every atherogenic particle: LDL, VLDL, intermediate-density lipoprotein, chylomicron and VLDL remnants, and lipoprotein(a). Each of those particles carries exactly one molecule of apolipoprotein B, so non-HDL is a close surrogate for the total burden of apoB-containing particles — the particles that actually enter and are retained in the arterial wall.
Its practical advantage over a calculated LDL is that both of its terms are measured. There is no assumption about the ratio of VLDL cholesterol to triglyceride, so non-HDL remains valid exactly where Friedewald fails: in marked hypertriglyceridaemia, in non-fasting samples, in poorly controlled diabetes and in the metabolic syndrome. The only error in the number is the analytical error of the two assays used to produce it.
Targets are easy to carry across. Each non-HDL target sits 30 mg/dL, or 0.8 mmol/L, above the corresponding LDL target, because a person with a normal triglyceride has roughly 30 mg/dL of cholesterol in VLDL. An LDL target of 100 mg/dL therefore becomes a non-HDL target of 130 mg/dL, and an LDL target of 70 mg/dL becomes 100 mg/dL. A patient whose LDL is at target but whose non-HDL is not has residual cholesterol in remnant particles that the LDL alone did not show.
The limitations are worth stating plainly. Non-HDL says nothing about which particle carries the cholesterol, so it cannot separate a raised LDL from a remnant-rich pattern; that distinction needs the triglyceride level and the clinical context. It also counts cholesterol mass rather than particle number, and the two diverge when particles are small and cholesterol-poor, which is why apolipoprotein B is the more direct measure where it is available. Finally, it is a lipid measure and not a risk estimate: the treatment decision still rests on absolute cardiovascular risk.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate non-HDL cholesterol?
Subtract HDL cholesterol from total cholesterol. Both values come straight from the lipid profile, so no estimating equation and no fasting sample are needed.
What is a normal non-HDL cholesterol?
Below 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L) is considered optimal, matching an LDL below 100 mg/dL. Lower targets apply in high and very high cardiovascular risk.
Why is the non-HDL target 30 mg/dL higher than the LDL target?
Because non-HDL includes VLDL cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol, and a person with a normal triglyceride carries about 30 mg/dL of cholesterol in VLDL. The offset is 0.8 mmol/L in SI units.
Is non-HDL cholesterol better than LDL?
It is more reliable when triglycerides are raised or the sample is not fasting, because neither of its terms is estimated. Apolipoprotein B is more direct still, since it counts particles rather than cholesterol mass.
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References
- Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel (Adult Treatment Panel III) final report. Circulation. 2002;106(25):3143–3421.
- Boekholdt SM, Arsenault BJ, Mora S, et al. Association of LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B levels with risk of cardiovascular events among patients treated with statins: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2012;307(12):1302–1309.
- Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC multisociety guideline on the management of blood cholesterol. Circulation. 2019;139(25):e1082–e1143.