A lipid panel is a simple blood test to verify its cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a soft and sticky substance that is inside your body. Total cholesterol consists of three parts: good cholesterol (HDL) and bad (LDL), as well as triglycerides (certain type of fat). A lipid panel test is important because cholesterol can obstruct its arteries. This can lead to heart disease and stroke.
Blood analysis can be done in a medical office, laboratory or hospital. A nurse or laboratory technician inserts a needle into a vein in the arm to collect a small blood sample. Sometimes blood can be collected through a puncture to your finger. Your blood will be collected in a tube and will be sent to a laboratory to perform tests. The results will be sent to your doctor and your doctor’s office will notify the results. The test can be done at any time of the day. Your doctor can ask you to perform the test while you are fasting.
There are also other similar tests that your doctor can do to better understand your cholesterol.
Way to the best health
Your doctor will use the results of your lipid panel to calculate an ASCVD risk score (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease). This score reveals if you are a high or low risk of heart disease. If your risk score is high, your doctor will recommend changes in diet and lifestyle. They can prescribe medications to reduce your cholesterol. Statins are a more frequently prescribed medicine class at lower cholesterol.
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) supports the Recommendations for Clinical Preventive Service of the United States Preventive Services (USPSTF) for lipid detection. The USPSTF recommends that healthy men have their first lipid panel test at age 35 and women at 45. Adults can be proven before if they have certain diseases (diabetes, heart disease) or if they smoke. According to the USPSTF, there is not enough evidence of the benefits of lipid panel tests in adults from 21 to 39 years.
The lipid panel test will provide individual results for good and bad cholesterol and triglycerides.
- Good (HDL) cholesterol: Your body needs good cholesterol to reduce your risk of heart disease. This is a test in which you want high numbers. Point to a good cholesterol from 40 to 60 mg/dl. You can increase your good cholesterol through a healthy diet and exercise.
- Bad cholesterol (LDL): Its goal is to reduce your number for bad cholesterol. A 100 mg/dl reading is considered normal. Between 100 and 129 mg/dl is almost normal. Between 130 and 159 mg/dl is the high limit. Above 190 mg/dl is considered high. The results between 70 and 189 mg/dl are considered too high if it is between 40 and 75 years old and has diabetes, a risk of medium to high heart disease or both conditions. Your doctor will prescribe a cholesterol medicine depending on your results and health history.
- Triglycerides: Between 150 md/dl or less it is considered normal. Between 150 and 199 mg/dl is considered a high limit. Between 200 and 499 mg/dl it is considered high. Anything greater than 500 mg/dl is considered very high. The things that affect their triglycerides include liver damage, a diet high in carbohydrates/low protein, little active thyroid, a renal disorder called nephrotic syndrome, some medications (hormonal replacement medications), not controlled and genetic diabetes. The treatment includes a combination of prescription medicine, a healthy diet and exercise. If your results are greater than 500 mg/dl, you can have a higher risk of pancreatitis. This is a chronic or acute disease of its pancreas.
Things to consider
- It can have a brief pain during blood test while inserting the needle. It is possible that you have a bruise on the site one or two days after the test.
- If it is dehydrated (your body does not have enough fluids), it may be difficult to find a good vein for the test. Drink a lot of water one to two days before the test.
- People who have suffered a recent heart attack, surgery, infection, injury or pregnancy should wait two months before their cholesterol reviews.
- Depending on their cholesterol levels and other chronic diseases, your doctor can evaluate it more frequently than a person who is otherwise healthy.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Is there any risk to make a blood test of the lipid panel?
- Can the results of the lipid panel be affected by a cold or flu?
- Should I take my prescription pills before testing?
- How soon will I discover my results?
- How do I prepare for the test if I have a latex allergy?
- What happens if, as for something within 8 to 12 hours before taking the test?
Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Perform a cholesterol test
National Institute of Heart, Lungs and Blood: What is blood cholesterol?
National Health Institutes, Medlineplus: cholesterol tests and results
