Cholesterol and Lipids Test

Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) that circulate in the blood. They are carried in the bloodstream by lipoproteins called chylomicrons and VLDLs (very low-density lipoproteins). After you eat, your body converts excess calories into triglycerides which are then transported to cells to be stored as fat. Your body then releases triglycerides when required for energy.

LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) is a molecule made of lipids and proteins which transports cholesterol, triglycerides and other fats to various tissues throughout the body. Too much LDL cholesterol, commonly called ‘bad cholesterol’, can cause fatty deposits to accumulate inside artery walls, potentially leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease. You can make dramatic changes to your cholesterol levels through diet and training. And just like with the diabetes checks, if you can improve your levels, you can hopefully prevent getting serious, possibly even fatal conditions down the line.

Non-HDL cholesterol includes all the cholesterol molecules which are not HDL (or ‘good’ cholesterol). It therefore includes all the non-protective and potentially harmful cholesterol in your blood. As such, it is a better marker for cardiovascular risk than total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The recommended level of non-HDL cholesterol is below 4 mmol/L. You can make dramatic changes to your cholesterol levels through diet and training. And just like with the diabetes checks, if you can improve your levels, you can hopefully prevent getting serious, possibly even fatal conditions down the line. You can use HDL and LDL (and non-HDL) results as markers and targets for improvement.

HDL cholesterol, or High-Density Lipoprotein is a molecule in the body which removes cholesterol from the bloodstream and transports it to the liver where it is broken down and removed from the body in bile. HDL cholesterol is commonly known as ‘good cholesterol’. You can make dramatic changes to your cholesterol levels through diet and training

Cholesterol is an essential fat (lipid) in the body. Although it has a bad reputation it has some important functions, including building cell membranes and producing several essential hormones. Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and comes from the food we eat. Total cholesterol is a measure of all the cholesterol in your blood, both good (HDL) and bad (LDL, VLDL and non-HDL). Fats are the primary energy source for endurance events or when carbohydrate energy sources are low. Medium-chain fatty acids are heavily utilised. Cholesterol transports fatty acids around the body and by looking at the levels of the different types of cholesterol we can get an insight into your health and cardiovascular risk (i.e. the build-up of cholesterol in blood vessels leading to blood vessel narrowing, heart attack and stroke). The liver regulates cholesterol levels in the body; it both synthesizes it and removes it; it also synthesises various lipoproteins that transport cholesterol throughout the body – and it is these that we measure in the cholesterol test.

The cholesterol/HDL ratio is calculated by dividing your total cholesterol value by your HDL cholesterol level. It is used as a measure of cardiovascular risk because it gives a good insight into the proportion of your total cholesterol which is “good” (i.e. high-density lipoprotein, HDL). Heart disease risk tools (such as QRisk) use the cholesterol/HDL ratio to calculate your risk of having a heart attack.