{"title":"Comparative validation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol estimation formulas in older Georgian adults","authors":"Gagua Nino, Mokvanidze Lizi, Kekenadze Nino","doi":"10.1016/j.plabm.2025.e00504","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a critical marker for cardiovascular risk assessment. Although direct measurement offers high accuracy, it is often cost-prohibitive and impractical for routine use in low- and middle-income countries. Multiple formulas, including those by Friedewald, de Cordova, and Chen, have been proposed to estimate LDL-C, though their accuracy varies across populations. This study evaluated the performance of eight LDL-C estimation formulas against direct measurement in a predominantly older adult Georgian cohort.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>We retrospectively analyzed lipid profiles from 500 adults with complete panels, stratified by triglyceride (TG) levels, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and age. LDL-C was estimated using eight formulas and compared with direct LDL-C assays. The study adhered to the Helsinki Declaration and was approved by the Bioethics International Committee of Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Substantial variability was observed across formulas. Friedewald and Chen showed minimal underestimation, aligning well with direct measurements, particularly at moderate TG levels. The de Cordova formula maintained stable accuracy across TG strata, including borderline hypertriglyceridaemia. The Ahmadi formula, originally developed for mmol/L, produced significant overestimation in mg/dL units and was excluded from threshold-based analyses. Sensitivity testing using CLIA's dual total allowable error (TEa) thresholds (±12 % or 12 mg/dL) improved agreement for all formulas, especially at low LDL-C levels.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Friedewald and de Cordova offer reliable, cost-effective LDL-C estimates for older adults. Formula selection should account for TG levels, demographics, and analytical context. Broader validation in diverse cohorts is needed to enhance generalizability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20421,"journal":{"name":"Practical Laboratory Medicine","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article e00504"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Practical Laboratory Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352551725000575","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a critical marker for cardiovascular risk assessment. Although direct measurement offers high accuracy, it is often cost-prohibitive and impractical for routine use in low- and middle-income countries. Multiple formulas, including those by Friedewald, de Cordova, and Chen, have been proposed to estimate LDL-C, though their accuracy varies across populations. This study evaluated the performance of eight LDL-C estimation formulas against direct measurement in a predominantly older adult Georgian cohort.
Materials and methods
We retrospectively analyzed lipid profiles from 500 adults with complete panels, stratified by triglyceride (TG) levels, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and age. LDL-C was estimated using eight formulas and compared with direct LDL-C assays. The study adhered to the Helsinki Declaration and was approved by the Bioethics International Committee of Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy.
Results
Substantial variability was observed across formulas. Friedewald and Chen showed minimal underestimation, aligning well with direct measurements, particularly at moderate TG levels. The de Cordova formula maintained stable accuracy across TG strata, including borderline hypertriglyceridaemia. The Ahmadi formula, originally developed for mmol/L, produced significant overestimation in mg/dL units and was excluded from threshold-based analyses. Sensitivity testing using CLIA's dual total allowable error (TEa) thresholds (±12 % or 12 mg/dL) improved agreement for all formulas, especially at low LDL-C levels.
Conclusions
Friedewald and de Cordova offer reliable, cost-effective LDL-C estimates for older adults. Formula selection should account for TG levels, demographics, and analytical context. Broader validation in diverse cohorts is needed to enhance generalizability.
期刊介绍:
Practical Laboratory Medicine is a high-quality, peer-reviewed, international open-access journal publishing original research, new methods and critical evaluations, case reports and short papers in the fields of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. The objective of the journal is to provide practical information of immediate relevance to workers in clinical laboratories. The primary scope of the journal covers clinical chemistry, hematology, molecular biology and genetics relevant to laboratory medicine, microbiology, immunology, therapeutic drug monitoring and toxicology, laboratory management and informatics. We welcome papers which describe critical evaluations of biomarkers and their role in the diagnosis and treatment of clinically significant disease, validation of commercial and in-house IVD methods, method comparisons, interference reports, the development of new reagents and reference materials, reference range studies and regulatory compliance reports. Manuscripts describing the development of new methods applicable to laboratory medicine (including point-of-care testing) are particularly encouraged, even if preliminary or small scale.