Guide To Common Blood Tests

Lipid Panel

A lipid panel is performed to measure a patient's cholesterol. Specifically, the test measures high-density lipoprotein ('good') and low-density lipoprotein ('bad') cholesterol. This test is ordered as part of annual checkups. Patients who take medication to treat high cholesterol have it performed periodically to monitor the effectiveness of their medication. Individuals having a lipid panel performed will need to fast for at least eight hours before the test.

Normal high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels are less than sixty mg/dL. Normal values for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are less than 160mg/dL. Doctors use the results from lipid panels to guide their treatment recommendations. For example, patients with mildly elevated lipids might be encouraged to try dietary changes. They may also be prescribed a statin. Patients with severely elevated levels may need to take multiple medications to keep their cholesterol under control.

Blood Sugar Test

Blood sugar tests are prevalent. In healthy individuals, they can be part of a routine health checkup to determine if their exercise routine or diet needs to change in any way. Blood sugar tests are also a major part of diagnosing and treating various forms of diabetes. This is because, as is evident by the name, this blood test measures the patient’s glucose (blood sugar). Individuals may have diabetes if a random blood sugar test returns a result of two hundred milligrams per deciliter or higher.

Diabetes patients will often have home blood sugar tests to monitor their condition. However, they usually must have fasting blood glucose tests at some doctor’s appointments as well. The exact schedule for this depends on their specific condition. Their primary doctor will discuss it with them.