For cholesterol tests, also called lipid panels or lipid profiles, results can look different depending on where you get the test done.
Your results may be just a number, or they may be in mg/dL – that’s short for milligrams per deciliter. That’s how cholesterol in your blood is measured, as milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood.
Cholesterol tests can include a couple of different measurements. Which ones are included in your test depends on where you get the test done. Some of the measurements that could be included are:
- Total cholesterol (sometimes shortened to TC)
- High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sometimes shortened to HDL or HDL-C)
- Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sometimes shortened to LDL or LDL-C)
- Very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sometimes shortened to VLDL or VLDL-C)
- Triglycerides (sometimes shortened to TG)
Most cholesterol tests at least include LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol.
Most test results will point out if any of your cholesterol values are high. Some will highlight the high values or show them in a different color. Some will just put a capital H next to high values.
Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about your cholesterol test results.
Cholesterol tests differ in what they tell, but they usually include total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL.
