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Private MD Lab Services offers the following panel for a full cholesterol screen:
|Cholesterol Screen $53.99|
|View Tests Included|
A blood cholesterol test (lipid panel) usually measures 3 different kinds of lipids in the blood, all of which are related to a fatlike substance called cholesterol. Most of the cholesterol in your blood is made by your liver from the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins you eat. You also get cholesterol by eating animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy products.
The 3 kinds of lipids measured in a lipid panel are:
The lipid panel also measures total cholesterol, which is the sum of all the types of cholesterol in your blood.
Another name for this test is lipid profile.
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:
Your risk is decreased if you have:
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. HDL makes it harder for the LDL to stick to the walls of your blood vessels and cause hardening of the arteries.
High triglycerides may be related to heart disease, but not as much is known yet about triglycerides and heart disease. When triglycerides are high, HDL is often low.
High levels of total cholesterol in your blood 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 to reduce your level of cholesterol can still reduce your chances of a first or repeat heart attack and lower your risk of 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.
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.
Ask your health care provider when and how you will get the result of your test.
LDL: Ask your provider about your risk for heart disease. It will help you know what your LDL goal should be.
HDL: Because HDL cholesterol protects against heart disease, higher numbers are better. A level less than 40 mg/dL is low and is considered a major risk factor because it increases your risk for developing heart disease. HDL levels of 60 mg/dL or more help to lower your risk for heart disease.Triglycerides (mg/dL)
Your LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, or total cholesterol levels may be high, or your HDL cholesterol level may be low, because :
Test results are only one part of a larger picture that takes into account your personal and family medical history and your 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: