1. When and how often should I have my cholesterol tested? Most people should have their cholesterol (lipid panel) tested starting at age 20. Children of parents with a family history of early onset heart disease should be tested even earlier. For example, children of parents who had a myocardial infarction in their 40s should have their lipid metabolism evaluated at age 10. Children with diabetes and obesity should also be evaluated for lipid metabolism. Adults with weight gain, patients with hypertension or diabetes, and any patient with a diagnosis of atherosclerosis in the heart, carotid arteries, legs and kidneys should be evaluated for lipid metabolism. If a physician recommends initiating lifestyle changes to improve cholesterol levels, patients should have their lipids retested in 4-6 months. If drug therapy is started, patients should have their lipids reviewed in 6 to 8 weeks. If the drug dose is increased or the treatment medication is increased, depending on the specific treatment change, patients should have their lipids reviewed in 6 to 12 weeks. Once treatment is stable, lipids should be monitored twice a year. 2. If cholesterol levels are tested multiple times in a day, will the values tested be just the same? Lipid analysis should be performed in the morning, after a 12-hour fast. Because the type of food, time of day and amount of food eaten varies, the variability of post-fasting lipid test results is high, which makes interpretation of non-fasted lipid results very difficult. Postprandial lipid analysis is used for research purposes only. 3.What are the items to be tested after the doctor’s appointment for lipid subscale? Lipid analysis generally consists of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (bad), HDL cholesterol (good), VLDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Some labs also automatically calculate non-HDL cholesterol levels. The lab printout also provides an assessment of heart disease risk and lists target values for treatment.