Cholesterol & blood lipids
Understand your lipid results and choose habits and treatment suited to your cardiovascular risk.
Three parts of the test
Your lipid test needs interpretation alongside your health and family history.
There is no single LDL target for everyone. It depends on your cardiovascular risk.
There is no single LDL target for everyone. Your clinician considers the whole profile, heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, and family history. High cholesterol usually causes no symptoms.
Where would you like to start?
Understanding cholesterol and lipid tests
Your lipid test needs interpretation alongside your health and family history.
Reducing risk in everyday life
Small repeated changes support heart health.
Follow-up and when to seek help
Review results and notice symptoms needing earlier assessment.
Does high cholesterol always cause symptoms?
Choose an answer to see the explanation.
Let's make it clearer.
Do I need to fast before a lipid test?
Fasting is often unnecessary, but it may be requested in some circumstances. Follow the clinician's or laboratory's instructions for your test and do not alter medicines for it without advice.
Does high HDL cancel out high LDL?
No. HDL transports some cholesterol, but it does not remove the risk associated with high LDL. The full result and other risk factors guide follow-up and treatment.
Sources & content information
Source check: 6 September 2026. General patient education for clinician review. Illustrations are conceptual and are not diagnostic images.
- NHS: High Cholesterol
- NHS: Getting Tested for High Cholesterol
- NHS: Cholesterol Levels
- American Heart Association: HDL, LDL, and Triglycerides
- American Heart Association: Familial Hypercholesterolaemia
- NHS: How to Lower Your Cholesterol
- NHS: Medicines for High Cholesterol
- NHS: Statins
- NHS: Atorvastatin, Including Serious Side Effects
- American Heart Association: How to Get Your Cholesterol Tested
- NHS: Heart Attack
- NHS: Symptoms of a Stroke