Lab Testing 101: What’s in a Lipid Panel?

Your cholesterol numbers aren’t just a pass or fail. Each test tells a different part of the story about your heart health.

A lipid panel measures four things: total cholesterol, LDL (“bad” cholesterol), HDL (“good” cholesterol), and triglycerides. Taken together, they give your provider a fuller picture of your cardiovascular risk than any single number can.

Most adults should have a baseline lipid panel tested in their 20s, and more often if heart disease runs in the family. It’s a small test with a lot of information behind it — and it starts with a simple blood draw at any Interpath location near you.

Find a location at InterpathLab.com