What does the Lipid Panel (Total Cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, Triglycerides, Non-HDL-C) test measure?

Why is Lipid Panel (Total Cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, Triglycerides, Non-HDL-C) measured?

The lipid panel provides the foundational cardiovascular risk lipid profile. In female health panels, oestrogen status is a key interpretive context — premenopausal women have naturally higher HDL-C and lower LDL-C relative to men, with this advantage progressively lost after menopause. Oral oestrogen therapy substantially elevates triglycerides through increased hepatic VLDL synthesis — a consideration when assessing lipid panels in women on oral contraceptives or oral HRT. Triglyceride-rich dyslipidaemia with low HDL-C is the cardiovascular lipid signature of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in females.

Reference ranges

Standard reference

Total Cholesterol: <200 mg/dL (desirable); LDL-C: <100 mg/dL (optimal); HDL-C (F): ≥50 mg/dL; Triglycerides: <150 mg/dL; Non-HDL-C: <130 mg/dL # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm Access Medical Laboratories lipid panel reference ranges and whether they apply NCEP ATP III, ACC/AHA 2018, or ESC/EAS 2019 categorisation to reported values.

Functional medicine optimal

LDL-C: <70 mg/dL (preventive cardiology optimal for patients with risk factors); HDL-C (F): >60 mg/dL; Triglycerides: <100 mg/dL; Non-HDL-C: <100 mg/dL. # REVIEWER FLAG: Optimal lipid thresholds are risk-stratified and guideline-dependent — reviewer to confirm preferred framework for this platform's practitioner audience.

Units

mg/dL, mmol/L

Reference ranges vary by laboratory and assay platform. Interpret in context of the issuing laboratory's stated range.