Comparison of measured LDL cholesterol with calculated LDL-cholesterol using the Friedewald and Martin-Hopkins formulae in diabetic adults at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital/NHLS Laboratory.

Background: The National Cholesterol Education Programme Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) and the European Society of Cardiology recommend using low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as a treatment target for cholesterol lowering therapy. The Friedewald formula underestimates LDL-C in non-fasted and hypertriglyceridemia patients. This study aimed to compare measured LDL-C to calculated LDL-C in diabetic patients using the Friedewald and Martin-Hopkins formulae.