The panel of tests help to determine overall cardio-vascular patient's health..

Lipids are a group of fats and fat-like substances that are important constituents of cells and sources of energy. Excess lipids can cause the buildup of plaques in the blood vessels. Plaques cause the narrowing or blockage of blood vessels, leading to heart disease or events such as heart attack or stroke. Monitoring and maintaining healthy lipid levels is essential in staying healthy.

The lipid panel tests measure the Total Cholesterol; High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Cholesterol; Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol (calculation); Cholesterol/HDL Ratio (calculated), Non-HDL Cholesterol (calculated) and Triglycerides.

Patient should be on a stable diet, ideally for two to three weeks prior to collection of blood and should fast for 12 to 14 hours before collection of the specimen.