ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The Friedewald equation has been the standard method for estimating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) for more than 50 years. However, newer equations can reduce the negative bias that may occur at high triglyceride concentrations or low LDL-C levels, improving the accuracy in cardiovascular disease risk assessment. But if newer calculations are available, why haven't they been adopted more broadly?
This episode of LabMind features three scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH): Alan Remaley, MD, PhD, FAHA, senior investigator in the Lipoprotein Metabolism Laboratory at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Anna Wolska, MS, PhD, FAHA, associate scientist in the Lipoprotein Metabolism Laboratory, and Maureen Sampson, BSMT(ASCP), research clinical laboratory scientist in the Chemistry Service of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the NIH Clinical Center. They joined us to discuss the evolution of LDL-C estimates and the opportunities associated with implementing newer equations in clinical laboratories. Listen in for an insightful conversation on how advances in lipid testing can improve the assessment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk.
Related Information:
- DPYD Genotype-Guided Fluoropyrimidine Dosing: FDA and NCCN Updates to Guide 5-FU and Capecitabine Dosing for Oncologists [https://arup.utah.edu/education/nelson-dpyd-2026]
- William Friedewald on The Friedewald Equation [https://web.archive.org/web/20171121060358/www.epi.umn.edu/cvdepi/essay/william-friedewald-on-the-friedewald-equation/]
- 2026 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia [https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423]
- A Modified Sampson-NIH Equation with Improved Accuracy for Estimating Low Levels of Low-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40629956/]
