Doctors will often begin looking for clues to the cause of any heart problem with a blood test. In addition to checking blood pressure levels, doctors will often run lipid blood tests or a lipid panel to measure the fats in your blood. The higher...
A cholesterol lipid profile is a blood test that checks the levels of different forms of cholesterol in your blood. It is usually performed to determine your risk for heart disease such as heart attack or stroke. The blood test commonly checks...
Low-density lipoprotein particles, commonly known as LDL cholesterol, has become the number to watch on cholesterol tests. Total cholesterol, studies have shown, is far less important than the breakdown of LDL, considered the "bad" form of...
If you have symptoms of diarrhea, fatty stools or steatorrhea, abdominal bloating and gas, your physician may order a fecal lipid test. The test does not determine the cause of your symptoms but indicates the need for further diagnostic procedures...
Lipids are a diverse group of organic molecules and are present as fats and oils in foods. Fatty acids, such as omega-3s and omega-6s, are made of long chain fatty acids containing an ester group. Whether the fat is saturated or unsaturated...
The body requires some amount of cholesterol to function properly, but high amounts of total cholesterol may increase your risk for complications such as heart attacks and strokes, explains MedlinePlus. High cholesterol may indicate you need to...
Getting your blood drawn requires a trip to the lab, so health care providers often request that several tests be performed on one blood specimen. Common blood work for multiple issues includes glucose tolerance tests to check for diabetes and...
Lipids are a fat in your your bloodstream requiring a blood test to measure the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood, according to MayoClinic.com. Your body relies on certain amounts of cholesterol for healthy cells, however, when...
Lipids, or circulating fats, are essential to health in moderate amounts because they serve as storage for calories inside the body, provide energy, assist in the absorption and transport of vitamins A, D, E and K and provide the body with the...
High-density lipoprotein, or HDL and the "good" cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein, or LDL and the "bad" cholesterol, are tests done in a lipid profile to determine your cholesterol levels. The tests' measurements are in milligrams per...
Triglycerides and cholesterol are two types of lipids, which are classified as hydrophobic, or water-fearing substances. Because lipids are hydrophobic, they cannot physically dissolve in water, and as a result, circulate throughout your blood,...
Even if you're not familiar with the dozens of other results from a blood test, chances are you have an intimate knowledge of what your cholesterol levels should be. Consumers have been well educated by the media and the medical community about...
Lipoprotein (a), Lp(a) cholesterol, is a type of low-density lipoprotein -- LDL, the "bad" cholesterol linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. Cholesterol and blood, like oil and water, don't mix well. To move through your bloodstream,...
Dyslipidemia, or irregular blood lipid levels, can be caused by certain medical conditions, genetics, and diet. Blood lipids can be tested with a simple fasting blood test and include total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and...
Whether you need a blood test that measures lipids, cholesterol, blood cells, iron, hormone levels or platelets, there's certain protocol to follow. Your doctor may instruct you to cease food and beverages for a specified time before the test and,...
Triglyceride levels change dramatically after eating, so fasting for at least eight hours before a lipids blood test is critical for accurate results. Eating a meal that contains fat may raise normal triglyceride levels by up to 20 percent. Other...
When you're thinking about raising your cholesterol levels, the only number you want to increase is high-density lipoprotein. More commonly known as HDL, this "good" form of cholesterol helps to rid the bloodstream of bad cholesterol such as...
Blood lipid tests are one of the most common ways to determine your risk for heart disease. While total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins will give you a lot of valuable information, there's one test result you...
Your body produces two main types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Elevated LDL levels are a cause of concern due to their role in coronary heart disease and stroke.
High cholesterol is considered one of a number of silent killers--diseases that put people at risk for premature death before their first symptoms occur. By the time symptoms do appear, the disease may have progressed to the point where expensive...
Lipids and phospholipids swim about your blood and enrich the foods you eat as fats and cholesterol. They are helpful in moderation and harmful in excess. You would have to use plenty of elbow grease to suffer from low blood cholesterol and low...
Laboratory analysis of blood and body fluids supplies valuable information about the heart. According to the Cleveland Clinic, measuring enzyme levels in the blood gives an indication of the severity of heart muscle damage, as well as the risk...
If you have been told by your doctor that you have high cholesterol, starting a regimen of prescription medications may not be your best approach. In fact, if your total cholesterol is moderately high--from 200 to 230 mg/dl--and your have no other...
According to the American Heart Association, when looking at your total blood cholesterol levels, you want to aim for reading of 200 mg/dL or less. Anything over 200 mg/dL puts you in a borderline risk category, and anything over 239 mg/dL is...
A lipid profile is a simple test that measures the levels of various lipids, or fats, in your bloodstream. A printout of your test results will show your triglyceride level, your total cholesterol level and all of the cholesterol subdivisions....
Along with obesity, cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol is a primary risk factor for heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, more than 98 million adults have total cholesterol...
You need a certain amount of cholesterol to make hormones, bile and cell membranes, but too much cholesterol can be detrimental to your health. One measurement of your cholesterol levels, known as your cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein...
A lipid profile tests for concentrations of different types of cholesterol and other kinds of fats present in an individual's blood. While lipid profile tests are standard tests in adults, their use in children is less apparent. Children who are...
If you've been diagnosed with high cholesterol, chances are it didn't happen overnight. Developing high cholesterol is the result of family history, dietary habits, exercise choices and a number of other things that have slowly contributed to one...
