Lipid Panel Test

What is the lipid panel test?

A lipid panel usually measures 3 different kinds of lipids in the blood, all of which are related to a type of fat called cholesterol. The 3 kinds of lipids are:

• LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein)
• HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein)
• triglycerides.

The lipid panel also measures total cholesterol, which is the sum of all 3 kinds of lipids in your blood.

Another name for this test is lipid profile.

Why is this test done?

The lipid panel helps check your risk for heart disease or atherosclerosis, which is a hardening, narrowing, or blockage of the arteries.

Your risk is increased if you have:

• high levels of total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides
• a low level of HDL.

Your risk is decreased if you have:

• low levels of total cholesterol LDL, and triglycerides
• a high level of HDL.

LDL cholesterol is called bad cholesterol because the higher your LDL, the greater your risk for heart disease. HDL is called good cholesterol because a high level of HDL in your blood reduces your risk. HDL attaches to and carries away other lipids, such as LDL cholesterol. It makes it harder for the LDL to stick to the walls of your blood vessels and cause hardening of the arteries.

High triglycerides are also related to heart disease, but not as much is known yet about triglycerides and heart disease as is known about the other lipids. When triglycerides are high, HDL is often low.

High levels of total cholesterol in your blood generally also increase your risk of heart disease.

Because high cholesterol itself does not cause symptoms, you may not know that your cholesterol level is too high. If this test shows that you have high cholesterol, you can start treatment to lower it and decrease your chances of heart disease. If you already have heart disease, treatment can reduce your chances of a heart attack or death from heart disease.

If you have changed your diet and exercise habits or are taking medicine to lower your cholesterol levels, this test can show how well your treatment is working.

How do I prepare for this test?

• Many lipid levels are affected by fat in your diet. Avoid eating fatty foods the evening before your test so that your cholesterol level won't be higher than usual.
• You should fast overnight before you have this test. This means you should not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your test. Eating food within 9 to 12 hours before the test will not affect the HDL or total cholesterol test results, but it will affect the test results for triglycerides and LDL. If you need to take medicines, you may take them with a small amount of water on the morning of your test.
• Don't drink any alcohol for 24 hours before the test.
• Avoid exercise for 12 to 14 hours before the test.
• You may need to avoid taking certain medicines before the test because they might affect the test result. Make sure your health care provider knows about any medicines, herbs, or supplements that you are taking.
• Talk to your health care provider if you have any questions.

How is the test done?

A small amount of blood is taken from your arm with a needle. The blood is collected in tubes and sent to a lab.

Having this test will take just a few minutes of your time. There is no risk of getting AIDS, hepatitis, or any other blood-borne disease from this test.

How will I get the test result?

Ask your health care provider when and how you will get the result of your test.

What do the test results mean?

You can use the charts below to see if your LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, or total cholesterol levels are higher than recommended, or if your HDL cholesterol is low.

 
Recommended LDL Cholesterol Level (mg/dL) 
---------------------------------------------------------------
Less than 160   For most people 

Less than 130   If you have an increased risk of heart 
                disease 

Less than 100   If you have heart disease, diabetes, 
                peripheral artery disease, abdominal aortic 
                aneurysm, or symptomatic carotid artery disease 
---------------------------------------------------------------

 
Triglycerides (mg/dL) 
----------------------------------------
less than 150      good 
less than 200      borderline high 
200 or higher      high 
----------------------------------------

 
Total Cholesterol Level (mg/dL) 
----------------------------------------
less than 200      good 
less than 240      borderline high 
240 or higher      high 
----------------------------------------

 
HDL Cholesterol (mg/dL) 
---------------------------------------
45 or higher  good 
40 to 44      borderline low 
39 or lower   low 
---------------------------------------

Your LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, or total cholesterol levels may be high, or your HDL cholesterol level may be low, because :

• You have an inherited tendency to have abnormal levels of lipids.
• You smoke.
• You don't get enough exercise.
• You eat too much saturated (animal) fat.
• You have hypothyroidism.
• You take certain medicines, such as anabolic steroids, beta blockers, epinephrine, birth control pills, or vitamin D.

What if my test result is not normal?

Test results are only one part of a larger picture that takes into account your medical history and current health. Sometimes a test needs to be repeated to check the first result. Talk to your health care provider about your result and ask questions.

If your test results are not normal, ask your health care provider:

• if you need additional tests
• what you can do to work toward a normal value
• when you need to be tested again.