Getting your cholesterol tested is one of the most significant steps in heart healthy living. A lipid profile test, or a lipid panel test, is a general overview of fat in your blood that includes cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoproteins like HDL, LDL, and VLDL. The results of the test provide a way of assessing your risk of getting heart disease or other disease due to abnormal Blood lipid levels.
Whatever you might do, whether through a routine check-up or due to your own personal history of inherited High cholesterol diagnosis, having a Lipid profile for cardiovascular health can place you in the driver's seat when it comes to heart health issues.
What is a Lipid Profile Test?
Lipid profile is a blood test that will indicate the various fats in your blood. It consists of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol or "good cholesterol," LDL cholesterol or "bad cholesterol," VLDL cholesterol, and triglyceride level. They are all factors in your heart condition and metabolism.
Cholesterol is necessary to construct cells and produce hormones, but excessive amounts, especially LDL, can construct plaque in your arteries. That raises the risk of stroke and heart attack. HDL, on the other hand, takes excess cholesterol out of your blood, so that's a good thing. Triglycerides is a type of fat in which stored calories in excess. The elevation of triglycerides in itself may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, particularly in the presence of low HDL or elevated LDL.
Why Do They Do Lipid Profile Test?
Physicians prescribe a lipid profile for by far and away the most frightening number of possible reasons including Heart disease risk test. The most common perhaps likelihood of all may be estimating your chance of developing heart disease. High triglyceride or cholesterol levels enhance patients' disease risks in the context of coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.
It is also used in the assessment of success in drug or lifestyle treatment in reducing lipid. Some of the diseases that would be most likely to require repeated testing of lipids include diabetes, obesity, liver disease, and chronic kidney disease.
Other than these, lipid test also detects certain genetic illnesses such as familial hypercholesterolemia, morning sickness caused by heredity which results in having very high cholesterol since childhood. They also need to get them done if already suffering from heart diseases or any other chronic illness in order to maintain things complication-free.
How to Prepare for a Lipid Profile Test?
Pretest for a test to get a lipid panel involves, as a general rule, Fasting before lipid test. That would hurt absolutely nothing and no drinks (except water) 9 to 12 hours beforehand. Fasting would be the most reliable measurement of triglyceride and LDL cholesterol composition of the blood. Non-fasting hour testing is now done at some of the newer facilities, essentially a follow-up test.
It is not unsafe to notify your physician if you are taking medicine or supplementing since they can impact your outcome. Your physician may have put you on some of the beta-blockers and statins to reduce your blood pressure level, which incidentally bias your results by a fraction. You will not need to dress up nicely for the test, but dress down to a loose- or short-sleeved blouse so that it will be easier for the phlebotomist and easier to draw blood.
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Procedure for Lipid Profile Test
The actual test itself takes only seconds and is painless.
- A physician or other medical technician uses a needle in one of your arm veins to collect blood.
- The blood is sent to a lab for examination.
- Almost anyone finds it hurts about like a stinging or pinching feeling, and this feeling of pain will only take seconds.
- You may return to your regular activities after that. You may eat and drink as usual if you have already fasted following the blood draw.
What to Expect After the Test?
When your test results are available, typically 24 to 48 hours, you and your physician will go over them. A lipid profile test report lists your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides level. These are measured against the Lipid test normal range to determine whether your levels are in what is considered to be healthy.
If your test result is out of range, your doctor can recommend lifestyle, diet, or drug adjustment. If everything's fine, the test is a good baseline to compare with your future tests. Regular testing is a great way of keeping your top-of-the-line cardiovascular system in tune.
Interpreting Your Lipid Profile Test Results
Your Lipid profile test results will be:
- Total Cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dL
- LDL (Bad) Cholesterol: < 100 mg/dL
- HDL (Good) Cholesterol: > 60 mg/dL
- Triglycerides: < 150 mg/dL
- VLDL: 2 to 30 mg/dL
Abnormal test results mean that there is a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. For instance, an increased level of LDL or decreased level of HDL cholesterol is an indication that your arteries are clogged. Increased triglycerides will also be an indication of underlying conditions such as metabolic syndrome, liver disease, or uncontrolled diabetes.
Your doctor will recommend a follow-up or further test based on your lipid profile with other risk factors such as family history, age, blood pressure, and smoking.
Conditions Diagnosed by a Lipid Profile Test
Lipid panel is very helpful in diagnosing hyper high cholesterol. It is a routine diagnostic test to diagnose atherosclerosis, pancreatitis, fatty liver disease, and familial lipid disorders. It will be helpful in studying your body's response to a drug or dietary change, particularly in a chronic disease such as diabetes or thyroid disease.
Annual lipid profile must be performed in chronic illness, family history of cardiovascular disease, and lack of physical exercise. Most financially viable screening examination for early treatment of cardiovascular disease before the symptom develops.
Lipid Profile Test vs Cholesterol Test: What's the Difference?
A Cholesterol test for total cholesterol would only indicate how much. A test for lipid profile would be better. The test will check for HDL, LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides and includes so much more in checking for risk of heart disease.
Physicians such as the lipid panel because it is accurate, particularly in the individuals who are at risk or have pre-existing lipid abnormality. If follow-up, then the physician prefers the complete lipid profile so that he is reminded of his heart.
Cost of Lipid Profile Test in Pakistan
In Pakistan, the Lipid profile test price is not the same where you get it. Where you get it from general health centers or government hospitals, its price is very low and ranges from PKR 500 to PKR 1,000. Where you get it from private diagnostic laboratories, its price ranges from PKR 1,200 to PKR 2,500, based on the place, quality of service, and convenience of home collection.
More than half of the laboratories have packages for the lipid test and for some other tests, thus giving value to the patients with chronic diseases or for screening purposes.
Book lab tests from the best-certified labs in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, and get a discount of up to 35%. For assistance, call our helpline at 03171777509 to find the right lab test for your health needs.
