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Non-HDL Cholesterol Calculator

Non-HDL cholesterol: total cholesterol minus HDL.

Everyone & professionalsHeart & blood vesselsv1.0.1

Your measurements

Calculated on your device. Nothing is sent to a server.

Your result will appear here

Enter your measurements, then press Calculate.

Methodology

Non-HDL cholesterol

non-HDL = total cholesterol − HDL

Non-HDL cholesterol counts all the cholesterol carried by atherogenic particles (LDL, VLDL, remnants, Lp(a)). The 2026 ACC/AHA dyslipidemia guideline sets LDL-C and non-HDL-C goals according to risk, and notes non-HDL-C is particularly useful when triglycerides are 150 mg/dL or more.

Who it is for
Adults; fasting not required.
Version
1.0.1

How this calculator works

Where the formula comes from

  • Non-HDL cholesterol is calculated as total minus HDL cholesterol; the EAS/EFLM consensus includes it in the primary lipid panel, says it can be measured non-fasting and should be reported in all standard lipid panels.[1]

The inputs

  • The 2026 ACC/AHA dyslipidemia guideline describes non-HDL-C as a composite of the cholesterol in all atherogenic lipoproteins that correlates well with apoB and is particularly useful when triglycerides are 150 mg/dL or more.[2]

What guidelines say

  • The 2026 guideline sets LDL-C and non-HDL-C goals by risk; for secondary prevention at very high risk it recommends LDL-C below 55 mg/dL and non-HDL-C below 85 mg/dL.[2]
  • The EAS/EFLM consensus advises assessing residual risk with non-HDL cholesterol or apoB, especially with mild-to-moderate hypertriglyceridaemia.[1]

Sources

  1. Nordestgaard BG, Langlois MR, Langsted A, et al. Quantifying atherogenic lipoproteins for lipid-lowering strategies: consensus-based recommendations from EAS and EFLM. Atherosclerosis. 2020;294:46–61. doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2019.12.005
  2. Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M, et al. 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia. Circulation. 2026;153(17):e1154–e1276. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423

Compiled from the published sources above. Every statement was agreed independently by three AI research tools (Claude, ChatGPT, DeepSeek) and its source verified in PubMed or Crossref by the Hakeemly editorial team. Not reviewed by a doctor unless stated. Agreed on

Worked example: how to calculate non-HDL cholesterol

Inputs

Total cholesterol
200 mg/dL
HDL cholesterol
50 mg/dL

Result

Non-HDL cholesterol
150 mg/dL
Non-HDL cholesterol
3.88 mmol/L

Calculation:

200 − 50 = 150

An illustration with sample values, worked out with the same method the tool above uses.

Limitations

  • Treatment targets depend on overall cardiovascular risk, which this tool does not assess.

References

  1. Mach F, Baigent C, Catapano AL, et al. 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias. Eur Heart J. 2020;41(1):111–188. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehz455
  2. Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M, et al. 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia. Circulation. 2026;153(17):e1154–e1276. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423

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