A lipid panel measures total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and works out the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL. At The Wellness in Marylebone it costs from £350, as the Core Wellness panel, with results in 24 to 48 hours and a doctor to explain the result.
A lipid panel measures total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and works out the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL.
Longevity+ adds ApoB and lipoprotein(a), which count the cholesterol carrying particles and an inherited one a standard panel does not show.
Adults are usually advised to have cholesterol checked as part of a heart risk assessment, sooner if heart disease runs in the family or you have diabetes, high blood pressure or a high body weight.
A doctor reads the numbers with your blood pressure, age and history to estimate risk, because no single number decides it.
Most people do not need to fast for a cholesterol test. If your triglycerides have been high before, the doctor may ask you to fast for 10 to 12 hours, with water only.
LDL measures the cholesterol carried in the particles, while ApoB counts the particles themselves. The two usually agree, and when they do not, ApoB can add to the picture.
That depends on the result and your risk. A doctor sets the interval, from every few months when treatment is changing to every few years when risk is low.
Choose a panel and a time for the draw in clinic. A doctor reads the result before it reaches you, and rings or writes with what it means and what to do next. Or ring 020 3951 3429.