“We’ve optimized the calculation of LDL cholesterol and made this equation accessible and easier for all labs to implement,” says Seth Martin, M.D., M.H.S., the senior study author and director of the Advanced Lipid Disorders Program and Digital Health Lab at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.

“Our goal is to enable clinicians and patients to make better decisions about starting treatments that prevent heart attacks and strokes and save lives.”

Where precision matters most

Accurately assessing LDL cholesterol is more important than ever because today’s guidelines recommend treatment to lower levels and reduce cardiovascular risk. However, underestimating LDL cholesterol using some equations can lead to missed treatment opportunities, Martin explains, a problem that the Martin-Hopkins equation helps solve.