Lipid profile
Lipid profile or lipid panel, is a panel of blood tests that serves as an initial broad medical screening tool for abnormalities in lipids, such as cholesterol and triglycerides. The results of this test can identify certain genetic diseases and can determine approximate risks for cardiovascular disease, certain forms of pancreatitis, and other diseases.
Components
The lipid profile typically includes:
1. Low-density lipoprotein
2. High-density lipoprotein
3. Triglycerides
4. Total cholesterol Using these values, a laboratory may also calculate:
5. Very low-density lipoprotein
6. Cholesterol:HDL ratio
Procedure
Traditionally, most laboratories have required patients to fast for 9–12 hours before screening. However, recent studies have questioned the utility of fasting before lipid panels, and some diagnostic labs now routinely accept non-fasting samples.
Implications
This test is used to identify hyperlipidemia (various disturbances of cholesterol and triglyceride levels), many forms of which are recognized risk factors for cardiovascular disease and rarely pancreatitis. A total cholesterol reading can be used to assess an individual’s risk for heart disease; however, it should not be relied upon as the only indicator. The individual components that make up total cholesterol reading LDL, HDL, and VLDL are also important in measuring risk. The lipid profile includes total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol (often called good cholesterol), LDL-cholesterol (often called bad cholesterol), and triglycerides. Sometimes the report will include additional calculated values such as the Cholesterol/HDL ratio or a risk score based on lipid profile results, age, sex, and other risk factors. The lipid profile is used to guide providers in deciding how a person at risk should be treated. The results of the lipid profile are considered along with other known risk factors of heart disease to develop a plan of treatment and follow-up.
Normal range
LDL : 60–130 mg/dL
HDL : > 40 mg/dL
Total cholesterol : < 200 mg/dL
Triglycerides : 10–150 mg/dL
VLDL : 2–38 mg/dL
