title: Limitations of the Friedewald formula for estimating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in alcoholics with liver disease.
abstract: The accuracy of the Friedewald formula in estimating low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was investigated in 47 alcoholic patients with liver disease (21 minimal-change, 26 cirrhotic) by comparing the results with those obtained by sequential preparative ultracentrifugation. In 14% of subjects with minimal-change disease, the error in the estimated LDL cholesterol was 50% +/- 9% (mean +/- SD; range 40-59%) and was related to the degree of attendant hypertriglyceridemia (r = 0.98; P < 0.001). A similar degree of error was observed in patients with cirrhosis, despite the absence of hypertriglyceridemia; an abnormal VLDL cholesterol: triglyceride ratio was the contributory factor in the discrepancy. We conclude that, as is the case in other clinical pathologies in which abnormalities of lipoprotein composition have been described (e.g., diabetes), the Friedewald formula to estimate LDL cholesterol may be inappropriate in chronic alcoholics, particularly those in whom a degree of hepatic dysfunction may be suspected.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca Biomedica, Hospital de Sant Joan, Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cabré
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: La Ville
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prats
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Joven
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Masana
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Camps
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008073:Lipoprotein-X / Q000097:blood; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008875:Middle Aged; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014461:Ultracentrifugation
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL; D008073:Lipoprotein-X; D014280:Triglycerides