Click HERE to pre-register and expedite check-in process
FLU SHOTS are now available! No appointment needed.
CALL US TODAY | (484) 329-6600
Find The Location Nearest Covid-19 Testing
We think you’re located in zip code 19355. Not Right?
A lipid panel, one of the many diagnostic tests available at AFC Urgent Care Frazer, is used to check a patient's cardiovascular health by examining the cholesterol in their blood. An excess amount of cholesterol can build up in the blood and cause damage to arteries and other blood vessels. This damage can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other heart disease.
There are several reasons why a provider at AFC Urgent Care Frazer may order a lipid panel:
Monitoring: If previous lipid panels showed abnormal results, or if a patient has a family history of heart disease, a lipid panel may be ordered to monitor their health.
Screening: Routine screening is often ordered by providers if there has not been a recent lipid panel. This lets providers know if a patient's cholesterol is high-risk, intermediate, or borderline.
Diagnosis: Besides examining cholesterol, a lipid panel can be used to diagnose other conditions. For example, abnormal lipid results can indicate diseases that impact the liver.
Checking Response To Patient Treatment: If a patient has started to take medications to control cholesterol or has been told to make lifestyle changes, a lipid channel can see if the body is responding to those changes.
Fat molecules in the blood are called lipids. Two important types of lipids are triglycerides and cholesterol. A lipid panel will analyze the blood of a patient and measure various types of lipids, including:
The lipid panel test results are measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). The ranges for total cholesterol in adults fall into these three categories:
The adult ranges for LDL cholesterol in lipid panels are:
For HDL cholesterol, the measurement should be above 40 mg/dL. The higher the number, the lower a patient's risk is for heart disease. A 60 mg/dL measurement is the level that someone needs to protect themselves from heart disease.
For triglycerides, the ranges providers use for a lipid panel are:
Lipid panel screening aims to look for health problems before any symptoms or other signs of health issues. A lipid panel can identify someone as being at high risk for cardiovascular disease before they begin to develop heart disease or suffer a heart attack. The general guide for when patients should be screened varies by medical organization and also by various risk factors.
For adults without any risk for cardiovascular disease or a family history of cardiovascular disease, screenings are generally done every five years starting in the early 20's. However, risk factors may cause providers to increase the frequency of lipid panels to screen for health problems. Some risk factors include:
If a patient has some of the risk factors above, a lipid panel may be ordered every year or every couple of years. The frequency of future tests may depend on the results of these tests.
For adults over 65, a lipid test is often ordered yearly. This may stop, or the frequency may decrease if cholesterol levels are stable.
Children without risk factors may receive a lipid panel test before puberty to screen for any problems and then again at age 16. The accuracy of lipid tests is often less between the ages of 12 and 16 during puberty due to changes in the body.
Children with risk factors may get a lipid panel every few years, starting at age 2. Screening is more frequent if they have a high risk of familial hypercholesterolemia, which is an inherited condition. This condition can cause heart problems at a young age and requires more screening. Screening for health issues with children at high risk for these conditions is often done at age 3, between the ages of 9 and 11, and at age 18.
Lipid panels are used for monitoring when a patient has had a previous test with high levels or has suffered a cardiac event like a stroke or heart attack. Medication and lifestyle changes are often needed to help mitigate risk factors, and lipid panels are used to see if the body is responding to these changes. A lipid panel is also used to see if medication needs to be adjusted to achieve the desired results.
Besides issues with a patient's cholesterol, other conditions can be indicated in a lipid panel test. They include:
The AFC Urgent Care Frazer experts can help you with your Lipid Panel testing needs. Samples are collected at our urgent care center; you will get your results as quickly as possible. We are open 7 days a week and no appointments are ever needed. Call (484) 329-6600 if you have any questions.
Fill out your information and we'll contact you shortly.
CALL US | (484) 329-6600CALL US TODAY | (484) 329-6600
Call 484-329-6600 for more information about our Frazer urgent care services.