LDL Calculated (Friedewald Equation)
Calculates LDL cholesterol from standard lipid panel when direct LDL is unavailable
- Highest activation tier
- Recommended
- How it is scored
- Scored in code; a detected disagreeing draft value is flagged for correction
- Scoring type
- formula
- Care settings
- Outpatient
When it activates
Scribeable activates a calculator from the encounter. The LDL Calculated (Friedewald Equation) can activate when the transcript or pasted chart context documents any of these:
- Lipid panel interpretation
- Statin initiation decision
- Hyperlipidemia management
- Cardiovascular risk assessment
A coded diagnosis can also activate it. ICD-10 prefixes carried by the registry: E78.
Inputs the note needs
3 inputs. Each is resolved from the transcript, the pasted chart context and charted labs; at this calculator’s tier a missing input is never requested, and a missing required input keeps the score out of the draft.
| Input | Type | Unit / options | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total cholesterol in mg/dL | lab | mg/dL | |
| HDL cholesterol in mg/dL | lab | mg/dL | |
| Triglycerides in mg/dL (must be <400 for valid result) | lab | mg/dL |
Scoring
LDL = Total cholesterol − HDL − (Triglycerides / 5). Valid only when triglycerides <400 mg/dL.
LDL = Total cholesterol in mg/dL − HDL cholesterol in mg/dL − Triglycerides in mg/dL (must be <400 for valid result)/5
Interpretation
Optimal: <100 mg/dL. Near optimal: 100–129. Borderline high: 130–159. High: 160–189. Very high: ≥190. For ASCVD patients: target LDL <70 (or <55 per ESC). If TG ≥400: formula invalid — must use direct LDL.
Evidence
Sources carried in Scribeable's citation registry for this calculator; guideline version: Friedewald 1972.
- Friedewald WT et al. Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasmaFriedewald et al. (LDL Calculation) 1972 · 1972 · link last verified 2026-03-28
How Scribeable handles it in the note
When an encounter activates the LDL Calculated (Friedewald Equation) (its highest tier is recommended), Scribeable does not ask you for missing inputs. The score is computed in code from whatever inputs resolve from the transcript, the pasted chart context or charted labs; a computed value is written into the draft only when every required input already resolves.
The score is computed in code from the resolved inputs, not recalled by the language model. If the draft states a LDL Calculated (Friedewald Equation) value that disagrees with the computed one, the disagreement is flagged to the second drafting pass, which is instructed to correct the score and its interpretation before you see the note.
Classified as a deterministic formula: a spare suggestion is easy to ignore, so activation is permissive.
See it activate on your own encounter
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