What a cholesterol test measures
A cholesterol test — also called a lipid panel or lipid profile — measures several different fats in your blood:
Total cholesterol — the overall amount of cholesterol in your blood. A starting point, but less informative than the individual components.
LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) — often called "bad" cholesterol. Carries cholesterol to the walls of arteries, where it can build up as plaque.
HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) — often called "good" cholesterol. Carries cholesterol away from arteries back to the liver for removal.
Triglycerides — a type of fat stored in fat cells and circulating in the blood. Elevated levels are associated with cardiovascular risk and can indicate metabolic syndrome.
Non-HDL cholesterol — total cholesterol minus HDL. Increasingly used as it captures all the cholesterol in potentially harmful particles.
Why your GP ordered it
A lipid panel is ordered to:
- Screen for cardiovascular risk — high LDL and low HDL are major modifiable risk factors for heart attack and stroke
- Assess overall cardiovascular risk as part of a Heart Health Check (MBS item 699, available from age 45, or 30 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
- Monitor the effect of cholesterol-lowering medications (statins, ezetimibe)
- Investigate possible familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) — an inherited condition causing very high cholesterol
- Assess risk in people with diabetes, kidney disease, or a family history of early heart disease
What the test involves
A fasting lipid panel requires 9–12 hours of fasting (water is fine). This is because triglycerides rise significantly after eating, affecting the accuracy of LDL calculations.
Non-fasting lipid tests are acceptable for initial screening and are increasingly used in practice — particularly for total cholesterol, HDL, and non-HDL cholesterol, which are less affected by food intake than triglycerides.
The test is a standard blood draw. Results are available within 24 hours.
Australian laboratory context
In Australia, cholesterol and triglycerides are reported in mmol/L (millimoles per litre). US reports use mg/dL — the values are different but measure the same thing. To convert: total cholesterol in mmol/L × 38.67 = mg/dL.
The Heart Foundation of Australia provides risk-based targets for LDL cholesterol — the appropriate target for any individual depends on their overall cardiovascular risk, not a single number. Your GP uses your lipid results alongside blood pressure, smoking status, diabetes, age, and sex to calculate your overall risk.
The Dutch Lipid Clinic Network score (Dutch Lipid Score) is used in Australia to screen for familial hypercholesterolaemia — a genetic condition where cholesterol is very high from birth.
Your GP will interpret your results in the context of your full medical history, your symptoms, your medications, and any previous results. A result outside the reference range does not automatically mean something is wrong, and a result within range does not always mean there is no problem. Always discuss your results with your GP or the clinician who ordered the test.