Nancy LC
Wed, Aug-27-08, 15:50
Ah ha! Here it is... the calculation they use to calculate your LDL gets messed up when you have large LDL particles.
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/making-dr-friedewald-honest-man.html
You need to have your LDL particles counted, like in an NMR test, not calculated.
The opposite can also happen: When all or nearly all LDL particles are large, Friedewald calculated LDL can markedly overestimate LDL particle number. Yesterday, for instance, a patient had a Friedewald calculated LDL of 183 mg/dl, but an NMR particle number of 1110 nmol/L--drop the zero . . . LDL 110 mg/dl. This woman was advised to take a statin drug by her primary care physician, based on the Friedewald LDL. Instead, she proved to have a far lower LDL. She would not have benefitted from taking a statin drug.
In fact, I can see on my own test this error. My NMR test LDL particles was 1100ish and the calculated LDL is 150ish.
My LDL particles are pattern A (big, fluffy harmless).
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/making-dr-friedewald-honest-man.html
You need to have your LDL particles counted, like in an NMR test, not calculated.
The opposite can also happen: When all or nearly all LDL particles are large, Friedewald calculated LDL can markedly overestimate LDL particle number. Yesterday, for instance, a patient had a Friedewald calculated LDL of 183 mg/dl, but an NMR particle number of 1110 nmol/L--drop the zero . . . LDL 110 mg/dl. This woman was advised to take a statin drug by her primary care physician, based on the Friedewald LDL. Instead, she proved to have a far lower LDL. She would not have benefitted from taking a statin drug.
In fact, I can see on my own test this error. My NMR test LDL particles was 1100ish and the calculated LDL is 150ish.
My LDL particles are pattern A (big, fluffy harmless).