{"id":48548,"date":"2022-02-08T09:30:05","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T14:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=48548"},"modified":"2025-10-23T14:57:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T18:57:26","slug":"cholesterol-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/cholesterol-test\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding cholesterol tests"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your healthcare provider ordered cholesterol tests, and you\u2019ve just received the results but are unsure how to interpret them. Your HDL is high, but your LDL levels are low. What do your results mean?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance. It can accumulate in all cells in your body. While your body needs some cholesterol to function properly, too much blood cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease. If your cholesterol is too high, it can cause build up on the walls of your arteries. This build up is called atherosclerosis and causes arteries to narrow. When this process occurs within the coronary arteries, it reduces blood flow to your heart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High cholesterol affects more than <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">94 million Americans<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and is a major risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. You\u2019ve probably heard that high cholesterol is not good for your health, but it\u2019s important to keep in mind that not all cholesterol is created equal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNot all cholesterol is bad,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mdmercy.com\/find-a-doctor\/ruth-brocato-md\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ruth Brocato<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, MD, a primary care provider at Mercy Personal Physicians in Lutherville, Maryland. LDL is the \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol while HDL is the \u201cgood.\u201d Dr. Brocato suggests thinking of LDL as \u201clousy\u201d and HDL as \u201chappy\u201d to remember which is which.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-a-cholesterol-test\">What is a cholesterol test?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A cholesterol blood test, also called a lipid panel or lipid profile,measures the amount of cholesterol and certain types of fats in your blood. The test is used to assess your risk of heart disease. A cholesterol test is often part of a routine annual physical. \u201cIt\u2019s typically a test offered to adults, but children and teens can also have high cholesterol,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/janice-johnston-md-47a33817\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Janice Johnston, MD<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the chief medical officer and cofounder of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Redirect Health<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Phoenix, Arizona.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A cholesterol test measures the following types of cholesterol:\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>High density lipoprotein (HDL) levels: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This \u201cgood\u201d cholesterol can lower your risk of heart attack.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol can cause plaque buildup in your arteries and blood vessels, and lead to cardiovascular disease including coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral artery disease (PAD)\u2014the leading causes of heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Total blood (or serum) cholesterol level:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This measures the total amount of cholesterol in your blood, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Triglyceride levels:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is another form of fat in your blood that can raise your risk of heart disease, especially in women.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve probably heard that high blood cholesterol is not good for your health, but it\u2019s important to keep in mind that not all cholesterol is created equal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t\t<div class=\"singlecare-dynamic-newsletter-wrapper sin-newsletter-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"heading\">Get our heart health newsletter<\/span>\n\t\t\t<form class=\"form-wrapper\" data-newsletter-form=\"1\" data-subsource=\"Heart Health Newsletter\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"input-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"dynamic-email\">Email<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"email\" id=\"dynamic-email\" class=\"email\" required>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"input-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"submit-form-btn\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Click to sign up\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"success-message\" role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"who-needs-a-cholesterol-test\">Who needs a cholesterol test?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/cholesterol\/testing\/\">Cholesterol tests<\/a> are recommended for everyone over the age of 20<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, at least once every five years if normal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Screening for high cholesterol in children can also be considered<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cHigh cholesterol doesn\u2019t cause any symptoms, so it can be easy to ignore,\u201d Dr. Johnston says. \u201cIt\u2019s important to get regular cholesterol screenings in order to understand your risk of heart disease and to take measures to protect your health.\u201d A blood test is the only way to determine your cholesterol levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMany doctors and patients prefer to have annual lab tests for cholesterol, that way if there are problems, we can address them early,\u201d Dr. Brocato says. \u201cThose at a high-risk of heart disease, or who already have heart disease may be tested more often.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>RELATED: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/effects-of-high-cholesterol\/\"><b>Why you should monitor your cholesterol<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-prepare-for-your-cholesterol-test-and-what-to-expect\">How to prepare for your cholesterol test and what to expect<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may be instructed to not eat or drink anything other than water for 12 hours before taking a cholesterol test. However, some cholesterol tests don\u2019t require fasting, so it\u2019s important to ask your physician if and how long to fast before your cholesterol test.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drinking plenty of water before a cholesterol test can ensure you receive accurate results. Dehydration can affect the accuracy of a cholesterol test, and so can certain medications such as corticosteroids and beta blockers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"interpreting-cholesterol-test-results\">Interpreting cholesterol test results<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your cholesterol results will typically be ready within a day or two. At-home cholesterol tests either offer immediate results via a monitor or come with a mailer that you use to send a blood sample to a lab in order to receive your results. Your <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean\">test results<\/a> will show your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cholesterol levels<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg\/dL).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\" singlecare-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\n<h3 id=\"total-cholesterol-levels\"><strong><span class=\"title\">Total cholesterol levels<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"header-row\">\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Total cholesterol range<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Meaning<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&lt; 200 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 200-239 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At risk<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&gt; 240 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dangerous<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table class=\" singlecare-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\n<h3 id=\"ldl-cholesterol-levels\"><strong><span class=\"title\">LDL cholesterol levels<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"header-row\">\n<td><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>LDL cholesterol range<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Meaning<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&lt; 100 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100-159 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At risk<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&gt; 160 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dangerous<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table class=\" singlecare-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\n<h3 id=\"hdl-cholesterol-levels\"><strong><span class=\"title\">HDL cholesterol levels<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"header-row\">\n<td><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>HDL cholesterol range<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Meaning<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&lt; 40 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dangerous<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">41-59 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At risk<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&gt; 60 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/3965355\/\">Research<\/a> indicates that men tend to have higher LDL and lower HDL cholesterol than women, but after menopause, LDL cholesterol levels in women increase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<table class=\" singlecare-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\n<h3 id=\"triglyceride-levels\"><strong><span class=\"title\">Triglyceride levels<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"header-row\">\n<td><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Triglyceride range<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><b>Meaning<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&lt; 150 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">150-499 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At risk<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&gt; 500 mg\/dL<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dangerous<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYour doctor will review your cholesterol results with you and look at your risk factors for heart disease that go beyond just cholesterol,\u201d says Dr. Johnston, who adds this includes your weight, physical activity levels, and diet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes high cholesterol is the result of diet and lifestyle. \u201cInactivity, lack of fiber in your diet, excessive animal fats and simple carbs, aging, diabetes, and smoking, can all cause high cholesterol,\u201d Dr. Brocato says. For others, genetics can also play a big part in cholesterol levels. Some people who are young, slim, exercise frequently, and eat healthy meals have high cholesterol levels because of an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/health-topics\/cholesterol\/causes-of-high-cholesterol\/familial-hypercholesterolemia-fh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">inherited condition<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that is passed down through families. When examining a patient\u2019s cholesterol results, providers also take the following factors under consideration:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Risk factors such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and smoking<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lifetime risk calculation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Length of time cholesterol has been elevated<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Family history of heart disease or high cholesterol<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Age and gender<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Body mass index (BMI) and obesity<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-lower-cholesterol-levels\">How to lower cholesterol levels<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on your test results, your doctor may first recommend diet and lifestyle changes including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Quitting smoking. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The habit raises your risk for heart disease.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Exercising daily for 30 minutes.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Even <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21952002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a 30-minute walk at a moderate pace<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/high-triglycerides-treatment-options\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lower triglycerides<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and boost HDL cholesterol.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Eating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, poultry, and low-fat dairy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014as well as foods that are low in calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Consuming more fiber. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The American Heart Association (AHA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/news\/2022\/01\/27\/sound-the-fiber-alarm-most-of-us-need-more-of-it-in-our-diet\">recommends<\/a> a daily intake of 25 to 30 grams of fiber, but most people only get a third of that<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Fiber helps with weight loss, and high-fiber foods have been associated with a lower risk of heart disease. If you\u2019re not getting enough fiber, talk to your doctor about taking a fiber supplement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Eliminating refined sugars, white breads, and starches.<\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Losing five to 10 pounds<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, especially if you\u2019re carrying weight around your midsection, which can raise your cardiovascular risk.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Learning to de-stress.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Whether you take up yoga, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajconline.org\/article\/S0002-9149(20)30620-2\/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">practice meditating<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or walk in nature, those with good coping skills have high HDL levels, while those with poor coping skills have worse LDL and high triglyceride levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sleeping better. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may be helpful to get six to eight hours of sleep each night.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>RELATED: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/low-cholesterol-diet\/\"><b>The best diet for high cholesterol<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLifestyle modifications can make a big difference,\u201d Dr. Brocato says. If your provider determines you\u2019re at high risk of developing heart disease, or if diet and lifestyle changes haven\u2019t proven to be effective, you may be prescribed a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/drug-classes\/statins\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">statin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/lipitor\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lipitor (atorvastatin)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/crestor\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crestor (rosuvastatin)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, that can effectively lower your cholesterol levels. \u201cStatins are the go-to medication for high cholesterol,\u201d says Dr. Johnston. \u201cThey\u2019ve been around a long time and are well-tolerated by most patients.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Johnston recommends talking with a healthcare professional about taking a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/coenzyme-q10\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. CoQ10 is an antioxidant that your body produces naturally. Some studies have shown that C0Q10 levels are lower in people with heart disease and those who take statins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf you have high cholesterol, your doctor will work with you to create an individualized treatment plan to maintain good heart health,\u201d Dr. Johnston says. Most people can manage cholesterol through a combination of lifestyle changes and medication.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your healthcare provider ordered cholesterol tests, and you\u2019ve just received the results but are unsure how to interpret them. Your HDL is high, but your LDL levels are low. What do your results mean?\u00a0 Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance. It can accumulate in all cells in your body. While your body needs some cholesterol [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":48001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8029],"tags":[737,8905],"coauthors":[10834],"class_list":["post-48548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-education","tag-heart-health","tag-seasonal","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Understanding cholesterol test results<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A cholesterol blood test measures LDL (&quot;bad&quot;) cholesterol, HDL (&quot;good&quot;) cholesterol, and triglycerides. Normal total cholesterol levels are below 200 mg\/dL.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/cholesterol-test\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What do your cholesterol numbers mean?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How to decode the results of this routine blood test\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/cholesterol-test\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Checkup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/singlecare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-02-08T14:30:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-23T18:57:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Blog_020822_Understanding_cholesterol_tests.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda Childers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"What do your cholesterol numbers mean?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"How to decode the results of this routine blood test\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SingleCare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@SingleCare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Linda Childers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/cholesterol-test\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/cholesterol-test\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mariusz Labedzki\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/232380d21234706e6360acfa9c895934\"},\"headline\":\"Understanding cholesterol tests\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-02-08T14:30:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-23T18:57:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/cholesterol-test\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1409,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/cholesterol-test\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/Blog_020822_Understanding_cholesterol_tests.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Heart health\",\"Seasonal\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health Education\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/cholesterol-test\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/cholesterol-test\\\/\",\"name\":\"Understanding cholesterol test results\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/cholesterol-test\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/cholesterol-test\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/Blog_020822_Understanding_cholesterol_tests.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-02-08T14:30:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-23T18:57:26+00:00\",\"description\":\"A cholesterol blood test measures LDL (\\\"bad\\\") cholesterol, HDL (\\\"good\\\") cholesterol, and triglycerides. 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