Machine Learning LDL-C Equation Comparable to Original Martin-Hopkins

WEDNESDAY, July 29, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- A simplified machine learning-based low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) equation provides results that are comparable to the original Martin-Hopkins equation, according to a study published online July 15 in JAMA Cardiology.Jihwan Park, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues used multivariate adaptive regression splines to develop a simple machine learning-based alternative to the Martin-Hopkins equation (LDL-C-MH-MARS) and compared its performance to that of the Friedewald (LDL-C-F), Sampson-National Institutes of Health (LDL-C-S), Modified Sampson (LDL-C-MS), and Martin-Hopkins (LDL-C–MH) equations in a study involving 4,939,528 patients with complete lipid panel data.Participants were randomly assigned to a training set and a test set (3,292,889 and 1,646,639, respectively). The researchers found that the LDL-C-MH-MARS equation had a very low median bias of −0.1 mg/dL, which was comparable with the LDL-C-MH. The median difference between these two equations was −0.5 mg/dL, supporting their comparability. The root mean square error was smallest for LDL-C-MH-MARS and LDL-C-MH (4.7 and 4.9 mg/dL, respectively), followed by LDL-C-S, LDL-C-MS, and LDL-C-F (5.8, 6.0, and 7.2 mg/dL, respectively). For LDL-C-MH-MARS and LDL-C-MH, the proportion of patients correctly classified according to clinical categories was nearly identical (89.7 and 89.6 percent, respectively), but was lower for LDL-C-S, LDL-C-MS, and LDL-C-F (86.3, 84.7, and 83.1 percent, respectively). In external validation datasets, the patterns of results were similar, with the highest accuracy seen for LDL-C-MH-MARS and LDL-C-MH."We've optimized the calculation of LDL cholesterol and made this equation accessible and easier for all labs to implement," coauthor Seth Martin, M.D., from Johns Hopkins Hospital, said in a statement.Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Machine Learning LDL-C Equation Comparable to Original Martin-Hopkins

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