Lipid Disorders Diagnosis

Lipid disorders are diagnosed with blood tests that measure the level of cholesterol and triglyceride in the blood.

Blood Tests

Cholesterol levels are checked with a blood test. A small blood sample is taken from a vein in your arm. You may need to fast for several hours, usually overnight, before your blood is taken. The test measures levels of:

• Total cholesterol
• LDL (bad) cholesterol
• HDL (good) cholesterol
• Triglycerides

The readings are interpreted as follows:

Total Cholesterol

Level

Interpretation

<200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L)

Desirable

200-239 mg/dL (5.2-6.1 mmol/L)

Borderline high

240 mg/dL (6.2 mmol/L) and above

High

LDL Cholesterol

Level

Interpretation

less than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)

Optimal

100-129 mg/dL (2.6-3.3 mmol/L)

Near optimal/above optimal

130-159 mg/dL (3.4-4.0 mmol/L)

Borderline high

160-189 mg/dL (4.1-4.8 mmol/L)

High

>190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L) and above

Very high

HDL Cholesterol

Level

Interpretation

60 mg/dL (1.6 mmol/L) and above

Protective against heart disease

less than 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L)

A major heart disease risk factor

Triglycerides

Level

Interpretation

less than 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)

Normal

150-199 mg/dL (1.7-2.2 mmol/L)

Borderline high

200-499 mg/dL (2.3-5.6 mmol/L)

High

500 mg/dL (5.7 mmol/L) and above

Very high

mg/dL = milligrams per deciliter of blood (mmol/L= millimoles per liter of blood)

• Screening for Lipid Disorders

References:

American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000 .

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/ .