This article tries to understand what is fasting lipid test.
What is Fasting Lipid Test?
- It is the name given to a group of blood tests done after 16 hours of fasting.
- Its purpose is to measure the cholesterol level in our blood so that we can ascertain the risk of heart diseases in us.
- This test is also known as lipid profile test.
- This test involves measuring certain parameters like total cholesterol, High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) also called good cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) also called bad cholesterol and Triglycerides.
About the Parameters of Liquid Profile Test:
- It is a fatty substance found in the outer membrane of the cells in our body. It is produced in the liver.
- It is found in food stuffs of animal origin like meat, poultry and dairy products.
- Special proteins called lipoproteins carry them through the blood stream to different parts of our body.
- There are two types of lipoproteins. One is called High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) – also called good cholestral, and Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) – also called bad cholesterol.
The LDL: It carries the cholesterol in our blood. Presence of LDL above the desired level leads to thickening of the walls of the artery. This makes the arteries narrow. It causes shortage of the supply of blood and oxygen in sufficient amount for proper functioning of the heart. The patient complains of heart ailments.That is why, LDL is called bad cholesterol.
The HDL: It removes excess cholesterol from the walls of the arteries, making them wide enough for the flow of sufficient blood and oxygen to the heart. That is why it is called good cholesterol.
Triglycerides: The food we take contains calories which provide energy to our body. The extra calories of the food become triglycerides and are stored in the fat cells of our body for later use. If we eat more than the calories we burn, the blood has high levels of triglycerides.
The fasting lipid test is recommended to healthy people at least once in five years.
