Your Lipid Profile

When doctors order a lab test called a lipid profile (sometimes called a lipid panel), they are looking for information about the amounts of four types of fats in the blood. You will be asked to give a small sample of blood from your arm. The results can help your doctor evaluate your risk for heart disease.

* Cholesterol helps the body form hormones, vitamin D and other important substances, but too much of it in the blood can clog and damage the blood vessels. Because it is a fat-like substance that doesn't mix with blood, cholesterol has to combine with proteins to form lipoproteins. Lipoproteins can travel in the blood to all the organs and tissues of the body.
* Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, or "bad" cholesterol) build up in the blood and increase your risk of heart disease.
* High-density lipoproteins (HDLs, or "good" cholesterol) carry cholesterol to the liver, where it is removed from the body.
* Triglycerides store energy for your body to use when it is needed. If there is too much, it can block blood vessels and cause other health problems such as abdominal pain and pancreatitis.

It's important to know that the ranges listed below are the most common results, and apply mainly to people without existing medical problems. The ideal range for each person depends on individual risk factors, including conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. Your doctor will help you determine the levels that are healthiest for you.

Mg/dl means milligrams per deciliter. This is a way to measure tiny amounts of substances (a milligram is one-thousandth of a gram) in one deciliter (one-tenth of a liter) of your blood.

The symbol < means "less than."
The symbol > means "more than."

Total Cholesterol (lower is better)

Best = <200 mg/dL
Borderline high = 200-239 mg/dL
High = 240 mg/dL or higher

Triglycerides (lower is better)

Best = <150 mg/dL
Borderline high = 150-199 mg/dL
High = 200-499 mg/dL
Very high = 500 mg/dl or higher

LDL Cholesterol (lower is better)

Best = <100 mg/dL
Good = 100-129 mg/dL
Borderline high = 130-159 mg/dL
High = 160-189 mg/dL
Very high = 190 mg/dL or higher

HDL Cholesterol (higher is better)

Low = <40 mg/dL
Best = 60 mg/dL or higher

Risk Factors
Certain conditions or behaviors will increase your risk for heart disease. The major risk factors include:

* Smoking
* High blood pressure or on blood pressure medication
* Low HDL cholesterol
* Family history of early heart disease (heart disease in father or brother before age 55; heart disease in mother or sister before age 65)
* Age (men 45 years or older; women 55 years or older)

Some of these can be changed (like smoking or diet) and some cannot (like age or family history). You can ask your doctor for advice on how to change what you can.

If you already have some risk factors, your doctor might ask you to make changes to your lifestyle - like losing weight and exercising more - and/or recommend medications to lower your cholesterol.

Your doctor will most likely recommend lifestyle changes and consider drug therapy when:

* You are considered high risk because you already have heart disease.
* You are considered at moderately high risk of heart disease because you have 2 or more major risk factors in addition to other health conditions, and you have an LDL of 100 or more.
* You are considered at moderate risk of heart disease because you have two or more major risk factors and your LDL is 160 or more.
(If your LDL is 130 - 159, only lifestyle changes - not drug therapy - might be recommended.)
* You are considered at lower risk of heart disease because you have 0 or 1 risk factors and your LDL is 190 or more.
(If your LDL is 160 - 189, lifestyle changes will be recommended and drug therapy might be considered.)