VLDL cholesterol calculator
Estimate your VLDL cholesterol from a single number on your lipid panel — triglycerides. Most labs don't measure VLDL directly; they estimate it with the Friedewald rule (triglycerides ÷ 5), the same estimate a calculated LDL is built on. In mg/dL or mmol/L.
Your privacy: this calculator runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent anywhere. It's the same on-device principle Quanome is built on.
Educational reference only — not medical advice. VLDL here is an estimate from triglycerides; a high VLDL really reflects high triglycerides, which belongs in a conversation with a clinician alongside your whole lipid panel.
## What VLDL numbers mean
| VLDL cholesterol | Category |
| --- | --- |
| 2–30 mg/dL (0.1–0.8 mmol/L) | Normal |
| > 30 mg/dL (> 0.8 mmol/L) | Elevated (raised triglycerides) |
Because the estimate is simply triglycerides ÷ 5, a normal VLDL means normal triglycerides (under about 150 mg/dL), and an elevated VLDL is a sign your triglycerides are up — that's the number worth acting on. There's no separate "VLDL target"; it moves with your triglycerides.
## The formula
**Friedewald VLDL estimate:**
- VLDL = triglycerides ÷ 5 *(mg/dL; ÷ 2.2 for mmol/L)*
- It assumes a fixed triglyceride-to-VLDL ratio, so it's reliable for typical results but **should not be used above ~400 mg/dL (4.5 mmol/L) of triglycerides** — labs stop reporting a calculated VLDL there, and a directly measured or advanced panel is needed instead.
This is the same VLDL term used inside the calculated LDL (LDL = total − HDL − VLDL), which is why high triglycerides throw off both numbers at once.
## The rest of your lipid panel
VLDL is only one particle; read it with the others:
- **LDL** — estimate it from total, HDL, and triglycerides with the [LDL cholesterol calculator](/tools/ldl-cholesterol-calculator/), and see [what your LDL level means](/blog/what-your-ldl-cholesterol-level-means/).
- **Triglycerides** — the number that drives VLDL; see [what high triglycerides mean](/blog/what-high-triglycerides-mean/).
- **Non-HDL** — total cholesterol minus HDL, which includes VLDL; get it with the [non-HDL cholesterol calculator](/tools/non-hdl-cholesterol-calculator/).
- **HDL & ratios** — see [what your HDL level means](/blog/what-your-hdl-cholesterol-level-means/) and the [cholesterol ratio calculator](/tools/cholesterol-ratio-calculator/).
Working in different units? The [mmol/L ↔ mg/dL converter](/tools/mmol-mg-dl-converter/) switches any lipid result between the two.
## Track your lipids over time — privately
A single VLDL is a snapshot; the value is in the **trend**. [Quanome](/) pulls your labs, Apple Health, and even your DNA into one private timeline on your device — parsed locally, never uploaded — with an AI coach that reads your lipid panel in whichever units you use.
Track your cholesterol over time, privately
Quanome unifies your labs, Apple Health, and DNA into one private, on-device timeline — in your units, with an AI coach. Free on the App Store and Google Play.
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