Lipid panel: LDL-C, HDL-C and triglycerides in view

Your blood fats say something about how your body handles fat. A lipid panel brings your LDL-C, your HDL-C and your triglycerides together in one overview.

That is useful for athletes and active people. Your lifestyle, your food and your training all feed into your cholesterol values. Measuring regularly shows you how your values develop.

A cholesterol blood test may suit people who want to follow their blood lipids. Think of:

• Athletes and active people who want insight into their HDL, LDL and triglycerides
• People who have adjusted their diet and want to follow the effect
• People with a family history of elevated cholesterol who want to stay informed
• People looking for a triglycerides test or LDL cholesterol test. They prefer to measure the whole profile at once.
• People who want to add a broader blood test later, such as our 360 health check

This panel measures three blood values around your blood fats:

• HDL-C is often called the good cholesterol. The NVKC uses 1.04 and 1.55 mmol/L as thresholds, the same for men and women.
• LDL-C is the value a doctor steers treatment on. The NVKC calls below 3.0 mmol/L favourable.
• Triglycerides say something about your fat metabolism.

In many laboratories LDL-C is calculated from your other values rather than measured directly. That calculation becomes unreliable when your triglycerides are high.

Your total cholesterol and your non-HDL cholesterol are not part of this panel.

The results show you how your blood lipids compare to the reference ranges. A high LDL or high triglycerides may be associated with cardiovascular risk. Your HDL is often looked at alongside them.

For active people this shows how your lifestyle relates to your lipid values. Keep in mind that a single value is not a diagnosis. Your lipid panel gains meaning alongside your situation and your history.

Online you often see a home cholesterol test or self-test with a finger-prick. Such a home test can seem convenient. A finger-prick often gives a more limited picture than a venous draw.

With us you do not use a home kit but a professional blood draw. A staff member draws a small tube of blood at a certified location. The lab then measures your lipid panel.

You can choose from 700+ collection sites in the Netherlands. There is almost always a location near you.

You only need your appointment confirmation and a valid ID. The draw itself usually takes only a few minutes.

Want to buy a cholesterol blood test? People often do so at moments like these:

• When they have changed their diet and want to follow the effect on their blood lipids
• When they want insight into their cardiovascular markers
• When their lipid values were deviating before and they want to keep following them
• When they want to keep an eye on their blood lipids periodically
• When they want to start with a basic panel before expanding

Your result shows how your blood fats relate to each other. A doctor looks at your LDL-C, your HDL-C and your triglycerides together. One value on its own says little.

Each value is compared against a reference range in mmol/L. A value outside that range does not automatically mean something is wrong. Always discuss abnormal values with your GP.

Fasting is not required. You may see the term fasting triglyceride on your result. Fasting triglyceride simply means a measurement taken after a period without food.

The NHG uses 1.7 mmol/L for triglycerides when you have fasted. If you have not, 2.0 mmol/L applies. We assess against the non-fasting threshold. You can therefore give blood at any time of day.

Drink enough water on the day of your appointment. If you trained hard shortly beforehand, take that into account.

You receive your results digitally in your account, usually within a few working days. For each value you can see whether it falls within the reference range. That lets you follow your lipid panel over time.

Want to buy a cholesterol blood test now? Check out quickly and then plan your blood draw at a location near you.

Every blood test result includes a professional assessment from a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.