Lipid Profile
A focused test for Total Chol, HDL, LDL and more.
Overview
Measures Total Chol, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides. A single-sample test processed at an NABL-accredited lab, with reports in 6 hours and a free doctor review.
The full panel
4 tests across 1 groupEvery parameter, grouped by body system — no clicking to expand.
What this test measures
The fats circulating in your blood: total cholesterol, LDL (often called 'bad' cholesterol, the particle that deposits in artery walls), HDL ('good' cholesterol, which carries it away), VLDL, triglycerides, and the derived ratios including non-HDL cholesterol.
Cholesterol causes no symptoms until it causes a heart attack or a stroke, so it is measured rather than felt. A lipid profile is ordered as a baseline in adults, to assess cardiovascular risk alongside blood pressure, smoking and diabetes, and to check whether a statin or a diet change is working.
Symptoms that lead to this test
- No symptoms — this is a screening test in most people
- A family history of early heart attack or stroke
- Known diabetes, hypertension or obesity
- Chest discomfort or breathlessness on exertion, alongside other tests
- Follow-up after starting cholesterol-lowering treatment
Understanding your results
There is no single 'normal' LDL — the target depends on your overall risk, and a value that is fine for a healthy 30-year-old may be too high for someone with diabetes or previous heart disease. Non-HDL cholesterol (total minus HDL) is increasingly used because it captures every atherogenic particle in one number and stays valid in a non-fasting sample. Very high triglycerides, above roughly 500 mg/dL, are treated as a matter for prompt medical attention in their own right because of the pancreatitis risk. A single abnormal profile is usually repeated before treatment is started, since acute illness, recent infection, pregnancy and alcohol all move these numbers.
Indicative only. Reference ranges vary between laboratories and between testing methods, and shift with age, sex and pregnancy — always read your own result against the range printed on your own report, with the doctor who ordered it.
| Parameter | Indicative range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Total cholesterol | Below 200 (desirable) | mg/dL |
| LDL cholesterol | Below 100 (optimal) | mg/dL |
| HDL cholesterol | Above 40 (men) · above 50 (women) | mg/dL |
| Triglycerides | Below 150 | mg/dL |
| Non-HDL cholesterol | Below 130 | mg/dL |
| Total cholesterol / HDL ratio | Below 4.5 | ratio |
Why the preparation matters
Fasting matters mainly for triglycerides, which rise for up to eight hours after a fatty meal and drag the calculated LDL with them. If the profile is being used to track a treatment against previous reports, keep the conditions the same — fasting each time — because comparing a fasting result to a non-fasting one is what produces phantom improvements and phantom relapses. Alcohol in the 24 hours before the test raises triglycerides sharply and should be avoided.
Who should consider this test
- All adults from around age 20, repeated every 4–6 years if normal
- Annually for anyone with diabetes, hypertension or existing heart disease
- Anyone with a family history of premature cardiovascular disease
- People with a BMI above 25 or a sedentary lifestyle
- Anyone on a statin, for monitoring
Conditions it helps detect
How home collection works
Patient stories
96% recommend“The phlebotomist arrived exactly on time and was gentle. My report came in five hours with a doctor’s note.”
“Booked at night, sample collected next morning. The parameter breakdown is genuinely thorough.”
“Loved the free doctor review — she walked me through my vitamin D and thyroid results clearly.”