Lipid Profile
Total, LDL, HDL and VLDL cholesterol, triglycerides and the ratios. The baseline for heart-risk assessment; repeated yearly once anything is raised
Also known as Cholesterol test, Lipids, LDL HDL
₹330/-₹600/-45% offFree collection on orders above ₹500/-
- Reports within
- 8 hours
- Parameters included
- 08see list
- Sample
- Blood
- Fasting
- 10 hours
- Measures
- Cholesterol fractions and triglycerides in the blood
- Identifies
- High cholesterol, heart-attack and stroke risk
Collected at home
A trained phlebotomist visits at a time you pick, from the next hour
Sealed single-use kit
Opened in front of you, and carried to the lab under controlled conditions
Report within 8 hours
On WhatsApp and email, with any value outside the normal range highlighted
What is the Lipid test?
A lipid profile measures the fats in your blood: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and VLDL cholesterol, triglycerides, non-HDL cholesterol, and two ratios that weigh the harmful fractions against the protective one. Eight values from one blood sample.
LDL is the cholesterol that builds up in artery walls, and it is the number most treatment targets. HDL clears cholesterol away, so higher is better. Triglycerides rise with sugar, alcohol and belly fat, and are the value most often raised in Indian adults. Your doctor combines these with your age, blood pressure, sugar and smoking to estimate heart-attack risk and decide whether a statin is worth taking.
We ask for a 10-hour fast because triglycerides climb after a meal and would distort the VLDL and LDL values. Book an early-morning slot and a phlebotomist collects the sample at home. The report arrives on WhatsApp and email in 8 hours.
Lipid parameters8 measured
Total cholesterol
up to 200 mg/dL
All the cholesterol carried in the blood added together, rising with a fatty diet, an underactive thyroid or family history, a first gauge of heart risk
Triglycerides
up to 150 mg/dL
The fats the body stores from excess calories, rising after sugary food, alcohol or a recent meal and falling with exercise and weight loss
HDL cholesterol
40–60 mg/dL
High-density lipoprotein, the protective cholesterol that carries fat away from arteries, higher with exercise and lower with smoking or a sedentary life
LDL cholesterol
up to 100 mg/dL
Low-density lipoprotein, the harmful cholesterol that lodges in artery walls, the main target for lowering heart attack and stroke risk
VLDL cholesterol
up to 30 mg/dL
Very low-density lipoprotein, the particle that ferries triglycerides from the liver, rising alongside triglycerides after fatty or sugary food
Non-HDL cholesterol
up to 130 mg/dL
Everything in the cholesterol total except the protective HDL, capturing all the artery-clogging particles in one figure, often more telling than LDL alone
Total cholesterol / HDL ratio
up to 4.5 ratio
Compares total cholesterol against the protective HDL, a higher ratio meaning more risk to the heart and a lower one meaning better balance
LDL / HDL ratio
up to 3.5 ratio
Weighs the harmful LDL against the protective HDL, rising when harmful cholesterol outstrips the good and falling as the balance improves
Reference ranges are the lab's defaults for adults and are printed on the report beside every value
How to prepare
- Fast for 10 hours before the sample; water is allowed, but no tea, coffee, juice or food.
- Book an early-morning slot so the fast ends with the collection.
- Avoid alcohol for 24 hours and a heavy, oily dinner the night before, as both raise triglycerides.
- Take your regular morning tablets after the sample unless your doctor says otherwise.
Who should take it
Every adult from 30, repeated every 3 to 5 years if normal. Yearly for anyone with diabetes, high blood pressure, a BMI above 25, a waist above 90 cm (men) or 80 cm (women), or who smokes. Anyone on a statin or fibrate, 6 to 12 weeks after starting and then yearly. People with a family history of early heart disease or very high cholesterol. Anyone with chest discomfort on exertion, or who has had a heart attack, angioplasty or stroke.
Before the visit
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, have had a fever or illness in the past two weeks, or take steroids, thyroid medicine, oral contraceptives or beta blockers, as these shift the values.
Why take the Lipid test?
- Baseline heart risk: High cholesterol has no symptoms, and a lipid profile is the only way to know your numbers.
- Starting at 30: Indians develop heart disease ten years earlier than Western populations, so the first profile should come early.
- Diabetes and blood pressure: Both multiply the harm from raised LDL, and a yearly profile is part of their routine care.
- On a statin: The profile shows whether the tablet has brought LDL to target and whether the dose needs changing.
- Family history: A parent or sibling with a heart attack before 55 (men) or 65 (women) makes early testing important.
Questions about the Lipid test
What is a lipid profile test used for?
It measures the cholesterol fractions and triglycerides in your blood to estimate your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Doctors use it to decide whether you need diet changes or a statin, and to check that treatment is working.
Do I need to fast for a lipid profile?
Yes, fast for 10 hours before the sample. Water is fine, but no tea, coffee, juice or food. Triglycerides rise sharply after a meal, and the LDL and VLDL values are calculated from them, so a non-fasting sample can mislead.
What sample is taken and how does home collection work?
A small blood sample from a vein in the arm. A trained phlebotomist comes to your home with a sealed single-use kit, draws the sample in a few minutes, and carries it to the lab.
What parameters does a lipid profile include and what are the normal values?
Total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL, LDL below 100 mg/dL, HDL 40 to 60 mg/dL, triglycerides below 150 mg/dL, VLDL below 30 mg/dL, non-HDL cholesterol below 130 mg/dL, total cholesterol / HDL ratio below 4.5 and LDL / HDL ratio below 3.5.
What does a high LDL or high triglyceride result mean?
High LDL means more cholesterol is available to build up in artery walls. High triglycerides usually track with sugar, alcohol and belly fat, and often come with low HDL. Neither causes symptoms; your doctor weighs them with your age, blood pressure and sugar to decide on treatment.
Who should get a lipid profile and how often?
Every adult from 30, every 3 to 5 years if normal. Yearly if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, excess weight, smoke, or have a family history of early heart disease. On a statin, 6 to 12 weeks after starting and then yearly.
How long does the lipid profile report take?
The report reaches you on WhatsApp and email in 8 hours from the time the phlebotomist collects the sample at your home. Book a morning slot and you will usually have it the same day.
Can I drink water or take my blood pressure tablet before the test?
Yes. Plain water does not affect the result and helps the phlebotomist find a vein. Take your regular morning tablets after the sample unless your doctor has told you otherwise; a short delay of an hour or two is fine for most blood pressure and thyroid medicines.
Is a lipid profile different from a cholesterol test?
A total cholesterol test gives one number. A lipid profile splits it into LDL, HDL, VLDL and triglycerides and adds the ratios, so it shows whether the excess is the harmful or the protective kind. Treatment decisions are made on the profile.
Commonly tested together
Often on the same prescription
What happens after you book
- A phlebotomist is assigned and reaches you in your chosen slot, as soon as the next hour
- The sample is collected with a sealed single-use kit and moved on a cold chain
- The report lands on WhatsApp and email within 8 hours