VLDL Calculator

The VLDL calculator helps you to calculate VLDL cholesterol based on triglycerides concentration. VLDL stands for Very Low Density Lipoprotein, which is one of the five primary lipoprotein particles present in our bloodstream. The article below contains more information about it. You will be able to find out more specifics on what is VLDL, what are reference values for VLDL levels, and what is the difference between VLDL vs LDL.

We try our best to make our Omni Calculators as precise and reliable as possible. However, this tool can never replace professional medical advice.

Below are some interesting pieces of information about very low density lipoprotein (VLDL):

• They're one of the five major groups of lipoproteins (chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, HDL);
• They enables fats and cholesterol to circulate in the bloodstream, a water-based solution;
• They're produced in the liver from triglycerides, cholesterol, and apolipoproteins; and
• Their main function is the transport of endogenous products: triglycerides, phospholipids, cholesterol, and cholesteryl esters.

Traditionally, most laboratories measure only three quantities: total cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides. From the triglycerides, we can calculate VLDL using Friedewald's equation.

This formula was created by Friedewald and collaborators and allows VLDL to be estimated for triglycerides concentration up to $400\ \mathrm{mg}/\mathrm{dL}$ ($4.5\ \mathrm{mmol}/\mathrm{L}$).

If the patient has a higher triglycerides concentration, you should use another equation which accounts for hyperlipidemia. It was created by Wilson et al. and is more accurate; however, caution is still advised for $\mathrm{TG} > 1000\ \mathrm{mg}/\mathrm{dL}$ ($11.29\ \mathrm{mmol}/\mathrm{L}$). We the formula is presented below:

Normal VLDL levels range from $2\ \mathrm{mg}/\mathrm{dL}$ to $30\ \mathrm{mg}/\mathrm{dL}$ ($0.1\ \mathrm{mmol}/\mathrm{L}$ to $1.7\ \mathrm{mmol}/\mathrm{L}$).

Important: You should check your lipid profile every five years to screen for heart disease risk factors; however, more frequent testing may be required for patients with coexisting risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high BMI.

LDL stands for low density lipoprotein, and it delivers fat molecules to cells. VLDL, along with LDL, is considered "bad cholesterol" as it builds upon the walls of arteries.

Once in circulation, VLDL will come in contact with lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and after various transformations, the composition of the molecule changes, becoming a intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL). Around half of IDLs are recognized by receptors in the liver cells and are endocytosed (brought into the cell). The rest undergo further modifications and become LDL.

You just read the most important information about very low density lipoprotein. Let's use a practical example to show how our VLDL calculator works.

1. Let's assume that we want to calculate VLDL levels for a patient with a triglycerides concentration equal to $125\ \mathrm{mg}/\mathrm{dL}$.

Note that sometimes laboratories use different units - $\mathrm{mmol}/\mathrm{L}$. You can use both in our calculator, as it has a built-in unit converter 👍.

2. We will use Friedewald's equation in our calculation as the triglycerides level is not elevated.

3. Our patient's VLDL cholesterol is $25\ \mathrm{mg}/\mathrm{dL}$. This result is within the normal range for VLDL levels.