A cholesterol profile, also called a lipid profile, measures the fats in your blood that are most closely studied in relation to heart and circulatory disease. It is the same group of results a GP combines with blood pressure, age, smoking status and other factors to estimate cardiovascular risk.
Before you book
- Price: £70. This covers laboratory analysis and your laboratory report.
- Where: Your blood sample is taken from a vein by our team at 82 King Street, Maidstone, or at a partner clinic near you, anywhere in the UK.
- Preparation: Most people can eat normally. We tell you when you book if the laboratory wants a fasting sample.
- Results: the laboratory's report shows each result beside its reference range. We confirm the expected turnaround and any collection fee before you book.
- Optional: a written interpretation (£50) or a results consultation with Marina (£100).
After you order, we contact you to arrange your blood draw. A postal finger-prick kit may be possible for this test: please ask before ordering.
Your report lists each result against the laboratory's reference range or desirable level. Cholesterol is one input into cardiovascular risk, so results are best read alongside your wider health picture.
What is measured
- Total cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- LDL cholesterol (usually calculated)
- Non-HDL cholesterol (calculated)
- Total cholesterol to HDL ratio (calculated)
Useful for
- Checking your cholesterol if you have not had a recent test
- Following up an earlier result, or after changes to diet, weight or activity
- Taking current figures to your GP, for example if you have a family history of high cholesterol or early heart disease
Sample: venous blood sample. Fasting: not usually needed; you will be told at booking if the laboratory asks for a fasting sample. Biomarkers: 6 results (3 measured, 3 usually calculated). Price includes: laboratory analysis and the laboratory's results report. Interpretation is optional and priced separately.
Helpful links: Compare health checks · How to prepare for a blood test · Understanding your report · All blood tests
Cholesterol Profile Blood Test
Measured directly
- Total cholesterol (measured): all the cholesterol carried in every type of lipoprotein added together.
- HDL cholesterol (measured): the cholesterol carried in high-density lipoprotein.
- Triglycerides (measured): fats carried mainly in VLDL and, after eating, chylomicrons. This is the result most affected by a recent meal or alcohol.
Usually calculated from the measured results
- LDL cholesterol (usually calculated): many UK laboratories calculate LDL from the three measured values using an equation, which becomes less reliable when triglycerides are high.
- Non-HDL cholesterol (calculated): total cholesterol minus HDL. It captures cholesterol in all the particles that can contribute to arterial plaque, including LDL, VLDL and their remnants, and is widely used in UK guidance.
- Total cholesterol to HDL ratio (calculated): total cholesterol divided by HDL cholesterol. This ratio is one of the inputs to the QRISK3 calculator.
The laboratory counts this panel as 6 biomarkers: three measurements and three values derived from them. Calculated values can only be as accurate as the measurements behind them.
This profile does not include apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein(a) or genetic testing for familial hypercholesterolaemia.
Cholesterol and triglycerides do not dissolve in blood, so they travel inside protein-coated particles called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries most circulating cholesterol out to the tissues; high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is involved in returning cholesterol towards the liver; and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and, after meals, chylomicrons carry triglycerides, the body's main storage fat.
The liver makes much of the body's cholesterol and clears LDL from the blood through LDL receptors. Genes strongly influence how well that clearance works, which is why some people have high cholesterol despite a healthy lifestyle. Familial hypercholesterolaemia, an inherited condition that reduces LDL clearance, is the best-known example.
Why clinicians measure it
A 2017 consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society brought together genetic, epidemiological and clinical-trial evidence and concluded that LDL causes atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with risk related to both how high LDL is and how long a person is exposed to it. Trials of LDL-lowering treatment show fewer cardiovascular events when LDL is reduced.
Low HDL is associated with higher cardiovascular risk, but raising HDL has not proved a useful treatment target, so it is used as a risk marker. Raised triglycerides are associated with higher risk, and very high levels can cause pancreatitis.
How UK guidance uses a lipid profile
NICE guideline NG238 describes a full lipid profile as total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, from which LDL and non-HDL cholesterol are calculated, and does not mandate a fasting sample. The results are entered into a risk calculator such as QRISK3 with other information, and NICE prioritises people with an estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk of 10% or more for full formal assessment. A cholesterol result alone does not give you that estimate.
Your report shows each result with the laboratory's reference range or desirable level. Laboratories differ slightly: some print population reference intervals, others desirable cut-offs, and the LDL equation can vary.
General guide figures
The NHS gives these levels as a general guide for healthy adults:
- Total cholesterol: below 5 mmol/L
- Non-HDL cholesterol: below 4 mmol/L
- HDL cholesterol: above 1.0 mmol/L for men or above 1.2 mmol/L for women
A joint European consensus statement (EAS/EFLM) suggests laboratories flag non-fasting triglycerides of 2 mmol/L or more and LDL cholesterol of 3 mmol/L or more. These are population cut-offs rather than personal targets: the right level for you depends on your overall cardiovascular risk.
Results that need medical review
- Possible inherited high cholesterol: NICE NG238 recommends specialist assessment for familial hypercholesterolaemia if total cholesterol is above 9.0 mmol/L or non-HDL cholesterol is above 7.5 mmol/L, even without a family history. NICE's familial hypercholesterolaemia quality standard also advises that adults with total cholesterol above 7.5 mmol/L are assessed for the condition.
- Very high triglycerides: NICE recommends urgent specialist review above 20 mmol/L (unless the cause is alcohol or poorly controlled diabetes), and a repeat fasting test for levels between 10 and 20 mmol/L.
If a result falls into one of these ranges, you will be advised to see your GP. With your consent, Juvenology can write to your GP.
Things that can change lipid results
- Recent food: after an ordinary meal, triglycerides typically rise by about 0.3 mmol/L and total and LDL cholesterol fall by about 0.2 mmol/L, which the EAS/EFLM statement regards as clinically insignificant for most people.
- Illness, medicines and recent childbirth: the NHS notes that these can make levels temporarily higher or lower.
- Other conditions: NICE lists excess alcohol, uncontrolled diabetes, an underactive thyroid, liver disease and nephrotic syndrome as common secondary causes of abnormal lipids that a clinician will want to exclude.
- Day-to-day variation: cholesterol varies naturally, so a single borderline result is often repeated before any decision is made.
Please do not start, stop or change any medicine because of this result. Discuss it with the clinician who prescribes for you.
Raised cholesterol usually causes no symptoms, and atherosclerosis can develop for years before it causes problems. A blood test is the only way to find raised cholesterol. People choose a private profile for reasons such as:
- they have not had a cholesterol test through their GP or an NHS Health Check recently
- a parent, brother or sister had high cholesterol, familial hypercholesterolaemia or heart disease at a young age
- they live with a condition linked to lipid changes, such as type 2 diabetes or an underactive thyroid, and want current results to discuss with their clinician
If you already take a statin or another lipid-lowering medicine, your GP or prescriber normally arranges monitoring. A private test can add a snapshot but should not replace that monitoring.
This profile suits adults who want current lipid figures to discuss with their GP, including people with a family history of high cholesterol or early heart disease and those following up a borderline result.
May not be the right choice
- Symptoms now: chest pain, sudden breathlessness or signs of a stroke need emergency care. Call 999. A blood test cannot assess these symptoms.
- Existing NHS monitoring: if your GP already checks your lipids, ask them before paying for a duplicate test.
- Specific requests: if a clinician has asked for apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein(a) or genetic testing, this profile does not include them.
- Pregnancy: lipid levels change during pregnancy and results are interpreted differently, so speak to your midwife or GP first.
There is no requirement for healthy adults without risk factors to take this test. Whether to test is your choice.
Established clinical use: a lipid profile is a standard part of UK cardiovascular risk assessment, and LDL is a recognised cause of atherosclerosis.
Population evidence: genetic studies of people who inherit naturally lower LDL show lower cardiovascular risk, supporting the view that cumulative lifetime exposure matters as well as the level measured in later life. Higher triglycerides and lower HDL are associated with higher risk, often alongside insulin resistance, excess weight and type 2 diabetes; association does not show that changing HDL alone changes risk.
Emerging research: apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein(a) are being studied as ways to refine risk. The 2019 ESC/EAS dyslipidaemia guidelines list both as factors that may improve risk classification in some people. Neither is part of this profile.
What this test cannot tell you: a cholesterol profile does not show how much plaque is in your arteries, cannot predict how long you will live and does not measure a "biological age". There is no single cholesterol target for longevity; the right level depends on your individual risk, which a clinician assesses.
- Fasting: most people can eat normally beforehand. Some laboratories prefer a fasting sample when LDL is calculated; if so, you will be told when you book, and water is fine.
- The evening before: avoid an unusually heavy, fatty meal and alcohol, both of which can raise triglycerides.
- Previous very high triglycerides: if you have had triglycerides above 5 mmol/L before, mention it when booking. The EAS/EFLM statement suggests a fasting sample may be considered in that situation.
- Medicines: take your usual medicines, including statins, as normal unless your prescriber advises otherwise, and note what you take.
- Recent illness: if you have been acutely unwell, had surgery or recently had a baby, consider waiting until you have recovered.
- Repeat tests: keep conditions similar each time so results are comparable.
Choose how your sample is taken when you book. We confirm the collection option, any collection fee and the expected turnaround time before you book.
- Juvenology Clinic, Maidstone (82 King Street, Maidstone ME14 1BH): Available.
- Partner clinic near you, anywhere in the UK: Available on request. We confirm availability for your postcode before you book.
- Postal home finger-prick kit: Ask before ordering. We offer a home kit only where the laboratory confirms this test is suitable for a finger-prick sample.
Sample: Venous blood sample (serum); sample tube type confirmed by the laboratory
Collection notes: Fasting is not usually required (NICE NG238), but some laboratories ask for a fasting sample when LDL is calculated; any fasting requirement is confirmed at booking. Avoid a heavy, fatty meal and alcohol the evening before. A postal finger-prick kit is offered only if the laboratory confirms lipid testing is suitable on that sample.
The price of this test covers laboratory analysis and the laboratory's results report. The report lists each result beside the laboratory's reference range.
Beyond the blood test: optional support, priced separately
- Personalised written interpretation report: £50
- General consultation: £50
- Results consultation (results discussion and follow-up advice): £100
- Personalised programme: from £150, after we assess whether a programme suits you
Consultations are with Marina, an NMC-registered nurse. She explains what your results show and how they relate to lifestyle. No prescription service is offered with these tests.
If a result suggests you need medical follow-up, we will recommend that you see your GP and, with your consent, can provide a letter to take with you. A blood test cannot rule out every condition. If you have symptoms, speak to your GP or NHS 111, and call 999 in an emergency.
Do I need to fast before a cholesterol test?
Usually not. NICE does not require a fasting sample, and an ordinary meal changes most results only slightly. If the laboratory asks for a fasting sample, you will be told when you book.
Why might my report not show an LDL result?
Where LDL is calculated rather than measured, the equation becomes unreliable when triglycerides are high, so some laboratories do not report LDL above a set triglyceride level. Non-HDL cholesterol is still available in that situation.
My HDL is high. Does that cancel out a high LDL?
No. A high LDL or non-HDL cholesterol still counts in a risk assessment, and clinicians look at the full profile alongside other risk factors.
Can this test tell me whether I have familial hypercholesterolaemia?
No. Very high results can be a reason for assessment, and NICE sets out the levels at which this is recommended. Diagnosis involves clinical criteria, family history and often genetic testing through NHS specialist services.
I take a statin. Can I use this test to adjust my treatment?
Please do not change your dose or stop treatment because of this test. You can share the results with your GP or prescriber, who will interpret them in the context of your treatment plan.
Is interpretation included in the price?
The price covers laboratory analysis and the laboratory's report, showing each result with its reference range. If you would like help understanding your results, you can add an optional personalised written interpretation report (£50) or a results discussion consultation (£100).
- Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification (NG238). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2023. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng238
- Familial hypercholesterolaemia: identification and management (CG71). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2008, updated 2019. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg71
- High cholesterol: cholesterol levels. NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-cholesterol/cholesterol-levels/
- Nordestgaard BG, Langsted A, Mora S, et al. Fasting is not routinely required for determination of a lipid profile: clinical and laboratory implications including flagging at desirable concentration cut-points. A joint consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society and European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. European Heart Journal, 2016;37(25):1944–1958. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehw152
- Ference BA, Ginsberg HN, Graham I, et al. Low-density lipoproteins cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. 1. Evidence from genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical studies. A consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel. European Heart Journal, 2017;38(32):2459–2472. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehx144
- Mach F, Baigent C, Catapano AL, et al. 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: lipid modification to reduce cardiovascular risk. European Heart Journal, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz455
