Cholesterol Screening

Also known as: cholesterol test.

What is cholesterol screening?

A cholesterol screening is a blood test that measures your levels of different types of cholesterol. These include total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides.

What happens during the test?

The doctor or nurse will collect a small sample of blood from your arm using a syringe.

Is any special preparation needed?

You may need to avoid food, drink and certain medications for 9 to 12 hours before the test.

What are the risk factors?

None.

What to expect?

Cholesterol screening at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is frequently done as a good measure of overall health and also as a test for diagnosing certain diseases. Universal cholesterol screening is recommended at 9-11 years of age and at 17-21 years of age. (National Institute of Health, Expert Panel report– 2012).


Reviewed by: Danyal M Khan, MD

This page was last updated on: May 27, 2020 10:35 AM

Lipid Clinic

Our pediatric clinic is devoted to treating children and young adults with complex lipid disorders and parental history for early onset heart attack or stroke.

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