The Lipids Panel can determine if you have abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. These are important because they can also help you and your doctor determine if you’re at risk for heart disease or other coronary (heart) illnesses.
Cholesterol is fat that is produced by the liver. It can also be obtained from foods like cheeseburgers, pizza, etc. There are two kinds of cholesterol – the good and the bad.
- 1. High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) = Good cholesterol.
- 2. Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) = Bad cholesterol.
Basically, you want a high HDL and a low LDL (see below for optimal results.)
The Lipids Panel is a great panel to establish a “baseline” (an initial reading or level of results) and continuously monitor over time (like every quarter) to ensure healthy results and take necessary action in elevated levels.
When all of these tests are evaluated together, your physician can determine if you would benefit from a cholesterol maintenance medication. If you’re already taking cholesterol medication, your doctor may require a more detailed test from ANY LAB TEST NOW® such as the Cholesterol Medication Maintenance Panel before a refill can be completed.
This Lipids Panel includes the following tests:
- 1. Total Cholesterol
- 2. HDL
- 3. LDL
- 4. HDL/LDL Ratio
- 5. Triglycerides
Why Do I Need It?:
Is your heart healthy?
Measuring your Total Cholesterol and other levels is one method to detect whether you’re at risk for heart or coronary artery diseases, among others.
Test Details:
Normal Range:
Normal ranges can depend on sex and age. Below are the ranges for a healthy adult.
| Normal ranges can depend on sex and age. Below are the ranges for a healthy adult. Total Cholesterol |
Desirable levels are less than 200 mg/dL Borderline normal levels are 200‐239 mg/dL |
| HDL Cholesterol |
Desirable levels are 60 mg/dL or above |
| LDL Cholesterol |
Optimal levels are less than 100 mg/dL Near Optimal levels are 100‐129 mg/dL Borderline normal levels are 130‐159 mg/dL |
| Triglycerides |
Normal levels are less than 150 mg/dL Borderline normal levels are 150‐199 mg/dL |
High Results Indicate:
TOTAL CHOLESTEROL: High results are values over 240 mg/dL. These results may indicate that you have a problem processing fats and could indicate that you may have a higher risk for heart disease.
HDL CHOLESTEROL: High results are values less than 40 mg/dL. This indicates that you may not have enough good cholesterol to balance out the LDL cholesterol.
LDL CHOLESTEROL: High results are values over 190 mg/dL. These results may indicate that you have a problem processing fats and could indicate that you have a higher risk for heart disease.
TRIGLYCERIDES: High results are values between 200 and 499 mg/dL. Very high risk values are over 500 mg/dL. These results may indicate that you have a problem processing fats and could indicate that you have a higher risk for heart disease.
Low Results Indicate:
Typically, there are no low results for these tests. However, some doctors treat low HDL. Ask your doctor if necessary.
How is it used?
Cholesterol is different from most tests in that it is not used to diagnose or monitor a disease but is used to estimate risk of developing a disease — specifically heart disease. Because high blood cholesterol has been associated with hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), heart disease, and a raised risk of death from heart attacks, cholesterol testing is considered a routine part of preventive health care.
When is it ordered?
Cholesterol testing is recommended as a screening test to be done on all adults at least once every five years. It is frequently done in conjunction with a routine physical exam. It is usually ordered in combination with other tests including HDL-C, LDL-C, and triglycerides — often called a lipid profile.
Cholesterol is tested at more frequent intervals (often several times per year) in patients who have been prescribed diet and/or drugs to lower their cholesterol. The test is used to track how well these measures are succeeding in lowering cholesterol to desired levels and in turn lowering the risk of developing heart disease.
Cholesterol testing may be ordered more frequently for those who have one or more risk factors for heart disease. Major risk factors include:
- * Cigarette smoking
- * Age (men 45 years or older or women 55 years or older)
- * Hypertension (blood pressure of 140/90 or higher or taking high blood pressure medications)
- * Family history of premature heart disease (heart disease in an immediate family member—male relative under age 55 or female relative under age 65)
- * Pre-existing heart disease or already having had a heart attack
- * Diabetes mellitus
For those under 20 years of age and at low risk, cholesterol testing is usually not ordered routinely. However, screening for high cholesterol as part of a lipid profile is recommended for children and youths who are at an increased risk of developing heart disease as adults. Some of the risk factors are similar to those in adults and include:
- * Family history—history of high cholesterol or heart disease in close relatives, particularly if occurring before age 55 in women or 65 in men. If the family history is not known, a cholesterol test is recommended, especially if other risk factors are present.
- * Being overweight or obese—when the youth’s body mass index (BMI) is at or above the 85th percentile, cholesterol testing is recommended. The BMI should be calculated at least once a year by the youth’s health care provider. For an obese youth (one whose BMI is at or above the 95th percentile), laboratory tests to measure cholesterol levels may be recommended every 2 years.
- * Consuming excessive amounts of cholesterol, saturated fats, and trans fats
- * Diabetes mellitus
- * High blood pressure (hypertension)
- * Smoking cigarettes
High-risk children should have their first cholesterol test between 2 and 10 years old, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children younger than 2 years old are too young to be tested. If the initial results are not worrisome, the fasting test should be done again in three to five years