Lipid Panel / Profile
What is a lipid panel/profile?
The lipid panel is a group of tests that are often ordered together to determine risk of coronary heart disease. They are tests that have been shown to be good indicators of whether someone is likely to have a heart attack or stroke caused by blockage of blood vessels or hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
The lipid profile typically includes:
An extended profile may also include:
How is the sample collected for testing?
A blood sample is obtained by inserting a needle into a vein in the arm. Sometimes a drop of blood is collected by puncturing the skin on a fingertip. This fingerstick sample is typically used when a lipid panel is being measured on a portable testing device, for example, at a health fair. You need to fast for 9-12 hours before having your blood drawn; only water is permitted.
How is a lipid panel used?
The lipid panel is used to help determine your risk of heart disease and to help guide you and your health care provider in deciding what treatment may be best for you if you have borderline or high risk. The results of the lipid panel are considered along with other known risk factors of heart disease to develop a plan of treatment and follow-up. Depending on your results and other risk factors, treatment options may involve life-style changes such as diet and exercise (first choice) or lipid-lowering medications such as statins (if lifestyle modification fails) or other factors are considered.
When is it ordered?
It is recommended that healthy adults with no other risk factors for heart disease be tested with a fasting lipid panel once every five years. You may be screened using only a cholesterol test and not a full lipid panel. However, if the cholesterol test result is high, you may have follow-up testing with a lipid panel. If you have other risk factors or have had a high cholesterol level in the past, you should be tested more regularly and you should have a full lipid panel. For children and adolescents at low risk, lipid testing is usually not ordered routinely. However, screening with a lipid panel 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 a family history of heart disease or health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), or being overweight. High-risk children should have their first lipid profile between 2 and 10 years old, according to the American Academy of Paediatrics. Children younger than 2 years old are too young to be tested. A lipid panel may also be ordered at regular intervals to evaluate the success of lipid-lowering lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise or to determine the effectiveness of drug therapy such as statins.
Sample required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in the arm or back of the hand
Clinic telephone +86 (0574) 86000000 (Mon-Fri & Weekends: closed)
Website designed and maintained by Foreigners Medical Clinic, Ningbo Development Zone Central Hospital
All content on this website in its entirety is subject to copyright. No part is to be copied without express written permission of Ningbo Development Zone Central Hospital 宁波开发区中心医院
The lipid panel is a group of tests that are often ordered together to determine risk of coronary heart disease. They are tests that have been shown to be good indicators of whether someone is likely to have a heart attack or stroke caused by blockage of blood vessels or hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
The lipid profile typically includes:
- Total cholesterol
- High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) — often called good cholesterol
- Low density lipoprotein (LDL) — often called bad cholesterol
- Triglyceride's
An extended profile may also include:
- Very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL).
How is the sample collected for testing?
A blood sample is obtained by inserting a needle into a vein in the arm. Sometimes a drop of blood is collected by puncturing the skin on a fingertip. This fingerstick sample is typically used when a lipid panel is being measured on a portable testing device, for example, at a health fair. You need to fast for 9-12 hours before having your blood drawn; only water is permitted.
How is a lipid panel used?
The lipid panel is used to help determine your risk of heart disease and to help guide you and your health care provider in deciding what treatment may be best for you if you have borderline or high risk. The results of the lipid panel are considered along with other known risk factors of heart disease to develop a plan of treatment and follow-up. Depending on your results and other risk factors, treatment options may involve life-style changes such as diet and exercise (first choice) or lipid-lowering medications such as statins (if lifestyle modification fails) or other factors are considered.
When is it ordered?
It is recommended that healthy adults with no other risk factors for heart disease be tested with a fasting lipid panel once every five years. You may be screened using only a cholesterol test and not a full lipid panel. However, if the cholesterol test result is high, you may have follow-up testing with a lipid panel. If you have other risk factors or have had a high cholesterol level in the past, you should be tested more regularly and you should have a full lipid panel. For children and adolescents at low risk, lipid testing is usually not ordered routinely. However, screening with a lipid panel 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 a family history of heart disease or health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), or being overweight. High-risk children should have their first lipid profile between 2 and 10 years old, according to the American Academy of Paediatrics. Children younger than 2 years old are too young to be tested. A lipid panel may also be ordered at regular intervals to evaluate the success of lipid-lowering lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise or to determine the effectiveness of drug therapy such as statins.
Sample required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in the arm or back of the hand
Clinic telephone +86 (0574) 86000000 (Mon-Fri & Weekends: closed)
Website designed and maintained by Foreigners Medical Clinic, Ningbo Development Zone Central Hospital
All content on this website in its entirety is subject to copyright. No part is to be copied without express written permission of Ningbo Development Zone Central Hospital 宁波开发区中心医院