Common Questions

1. I had a screening test for cholesterol. It was less than 5.2 mmol/L. Do I need a lipid profile?

If your total cholesterol is below 5.2 and you have no family history of heart disease or other risk factors a full lipid profile is probably not necessary. However, an HDL-cholesterol measurement would be advisable to make sure that you do not have a low HDL. Many screening programs now offer both cholesterol and HDL. If total cholesterol is below 5.2 and HDL is above 0.9, a lipid profile is not recommended.

2. How often do I need a lipid profile test?

It has been recommended that healthy individuals with no other risks of heart disease should have cholesterol and HDL measured every five years. You do not need to have a full lipid profile. However, if you have other risk factors or have had a high cholesterol in the past, you should be tested more regularly and you should have a full lipid profile.

3. My lipid profile results came back with high triglycerides and no LDL-cholesterol. Why?

In most screening lipid profiles, LDL-cholesterol is calculated from the other lipid measurements. However, the calculation is not valid if triglycerides are over 4.5 mmol/L. To determine LDL-cholesterol when triglycerides are over 4.5 mmol/L requires special testing techniques such as a direct LDL test or a lipid ultracentrifugation test.