Join AARP
Get exclusive member benefits & effect social change. Join Today
Because there are no symptoms of high cholesterol, the best way to figure out if you have it is to get regular screenings through a test called the fasting lipid or lipoprotein profile.
Also called a lipoprotein profile, a fasting lipid profile measures the amount of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides in your blood.
In order to get an accurate reading, your doctor will generally ask you not to eat or drink anything for nine to 12 hours before the test. Foods, beverages, and certain medications can all interfere with your cholesterol numbers.
During the test, your doctor or a lab technician will draw a small amount of blood from your arm with a needle. It will then be sent to a lab to be analyzed. Your doctor should call you with the results in about a week’s time. If you don’t hear from him or her, don’t assume everything is normal. It’s always best to follow up with a phone call.
The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommends that everyone over the age of 20 should have their cholesterol tested at least once every five years.
Some risk factors can increase how frequently you need to get the test. Those may include:
Work with your doctor to determine how often you should have your cholesterol levels checked.
Written by: the Healthline Editorial Team
Medically reviewed
: Stephanie Burkhead, MPH
![]() |
Enter your symptoms in our Symptom Checker to find out possible causes of your symptoms. Go.
|
![]() |
Enter any list of prescription drugs and see how they interact with each other and with other substances. Go.
|
![]() |
Enter its color and shape information, and this tool helps you identify it. Go.
|
![]() |
Find information on drug interactions, side effects, and more. Go.
|
The FDA issued an official warning regarding the E. coli risk associated with consuming raw cookie dough containing contaminated flour.