A lipid panel is a common blood test that healthcare providers use to monitor and screen for your risk of cardiovascular disease. The panel includes three measurements of your cholesterol levels and a measurement of your triglycerides
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What is a lipid panel?
A lipid panel is a blood test that measures the amount of certain fat molecules called lipids in your blood. In most cases, the panel includes four different cholesterol measurements and a measurement of your triglycerides.
Having too many lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) in your blood can lead to buildup in your blood vessels and arteries, which can cause damage and increase your risk of cardiovascular problems. Because of this, healthcare providers use lipid panels for both children and adults to evaluate the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart disease, heart attack (myocardial infarction) and stroke.
Other common names for a lipid panel include:
Lipid profile.
Lipid test.
Cholesterol panel.
Coronary risk panel.
Fasting lipid panel or non-fasting lipid panel.
What are the five tests in a lipid panel?
A lipid panel measures five different types of lipids from a blood sample, including:
Total cholesterol: This is your overall cholesterol level — the combination of LDL-C, VLDL-C and HDL-C.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: This is the type of cholesterol that’s known as “bad cholesterol.” It can collect in your blood vessels and increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol: This is a type of cholesterol that’s usually present in very low amounts when the blood sample is a fasting samples since it’s mostly comes from food you’ve recently eaten. An increase in this type of cholesterol in a fasting sample may be a sign of abnormal lipid metabolism.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol: This is the type of cholesterol that’s known as “good cholesterol.” It helps decrease the buildup of LDL in your blood vessels.
Triglycerides: This is a type of fat from the food we eat. Excess amounts of triglycerides in your blood are associated with cardiovascular disease and pancreatic inflammation.
While these are the main measurements in a standard lipid panel, some versions of the test may include other measurements.
Do I need to fast for a lipid panel?
In most cases, you need to fast for 10 to12 hours before your lipid panel blood test. Fasting means not eating or drinking anything except water. In some cases, getting a lipid panel test without fasting is possible.
In any case, it’s important to ask your healthcare provider in advance about whether you need to fast before the test. Always follow the instructions that your provider gives you. If your provider has instructed you to fast and you accidentally break the fast (eat), please let your provider know because the test is not as useful without fasting.
What should I expect during my lipid panel blood test?
You can expect to experience the following during a blood test, or blood draw:
You’ll sit in a chair, and a healthcare provider will check your arms for an easily accessible vein. This is usually in the inner part of your arm on the other side of your elbow.
Once they’ve located a vein, they’ll clean and disinfect the area.
They’ll then insert a small needle into your vein to take a blood sample. This may feel like a small pinch.
After they insert the needle, a small amount of blood will collect in a test tube.
Once they have enough blood to test, they’ll remove the needle and hold a cotton ball or gauze on the site to stop the bleeding.
They’ll place a bandage over the site, and you’ll be finished.
The entire procedure usually takes less than five minutes.
