Lipid Profile

Cholesterol & heart risk

A lipid profile measures the fats in your blood: total cholesterol, LDL ('bad') cholesterol, HDL ('good') cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Over time, too much LDL cholesterol can build up in the walls of the arteries and narrow them. Your doctor uses the results, together with things like blood pressure, diabetes and smoking, to estimate your risk of heart disease and stroke.

• To assess your risk of heart attack and stroke
• If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease or excess weight
• When a close relative has high cholesterol or early heart disease
• To check how well cholesterol-lowering medicines or lifestyle changes are working
• As part of a routine adult health check-up

Fasting is needed for this test; the fasting time is shown on this page. During the fast you can drink plain water, but avoid tea, coffee, juice and other drinks. Try to avoid alcohol and a very fatty meal the evening before. Keep taking your usual medicines unless your doctor says otherwise.

Sample

Blood sample

How it works

Book an early-morning slot so the fast is easier to manage. The collector takes a small blood sample from a vein in your arm at your home, which takes a few minutes, and you can eat as soon as it is done.

Report

Within 24 hours of collection.

The report shows each fat level next to the laboratory's reference range. Higher LDL cholesterol or triglycerides, and lower HDL cholesterol, are generally linked with a higher risk of heart and blood vessel disease. Target levels differ from person to person depending on other risk factors, so your doctor will interpret the results as part of your overall heart risk.

This test reports 5 measurements:

• Total cholesterol
• Triglycerides
• HDL cholesterol
• LDL cholesterol
• VLDL cholesterol