What should I do now?
Call 911
Call 911 for possible heart attack or stroke symptoms: chest pressure, severe trouble breathing, face drooping, arm weakness, or trouble speaking. Do not drive yourself.
Contact your care team
Contact your care team for side effects, cost barriers, or difficulty taking medicine. Severe muscle weakness or dark urine needs prompt assessment.
Keep your care plan
Keep your treatment and follow-up plan. Bring questions, readings, and your medication list.
SECTION 3
How is high cholesterol diagnosed?
A blood test called a lipid panel measures your cholesterol and triglycerides. Your clinician interprets the results alongside your medical history and cardiovascular risk.
What does the blood test show?
A lipid panel usually reports:
- Total cholesterol.
- LDL cholesterol.
- HDL cholesterol.
- Triglycerides.
- Non-HDL cholesterol, calculated by subtracting HDL from total cholesterol.
You may be asked to fast before testing, particularly when triglycerides need closer evaluation. Follow your care team’s instructions.
What should my LDL be?
There is no single LDL goal for everyone. Your goal depends on your risk and whether you already have artery disease.
Patients with a previous heart attack, certain strokes, or other atherosclerotic disease generally need lower LDL levels than patients at lower risk.
Looking beyond the lipid panel
Your clinician also considers age, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, kidney disease, and family history. A risk calculator may help guide treatment.
Additional tests may include:
- Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a): A largely inherited risk factor. Current guidance recommends measuring it at least once in adulthood.
- Apolipoprotein B, or apoB: A blood test that can clarify risk in selected patients.
- Coronary calcium scan: A CT scan used in selected patients when the decision about preventive medication remains uncertain.
These tests help personalize your care; not everyone needs every test.
Updated October 2026. Educational information; your own care plan may differ. Medical illustrations are simplified examples for teaching.