Cholesterol in Dehradun

What is a Cholesterol?

Total cholesterol measures every form of cholesterol your blood is carrying at once: the LDL that deposits into artery walls, the HDL that carries it back to the liver, and a contribution from triglyceride-rich particles. Cholesterol itself is not a poison. Your body needs it to build cell walls, make vitamin D and produce hormones, and the liver manufactures most of what you use. The problem is quantity and distribution. When there is more LDL circulating than the body can clear, it works into the artery lining and builds plaque, narrowing the vessel over years without a single symptom until something blocks. Because total cholesterol adds the harmful and the protective together, one number can mislead: a person with high HDL may show a high total and be at low risk, while another with a respectable total may carry dangerous LDL. That is why it is read as part of a full lipid profile with LDL, HDL and triglycerides.

Why take this test?

A cholesterol test is advised as a baseline from your thirties, and earlier if heart disease runs in the family, particularly a parent or sibling affected before the age of 55. It is also indicated with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, a smoking habit, thyroid disease or polycystic ovary syndrome, all of which shift lipids unfavourably. South Asians develop coronary artery disease earlier and at lower body weights than most other populations, so a normal build is not a reason to skip it. Beyond screening, it is the number used to judge whether a change in diet, activity or weight is working, and to monitor treatment once a statin or other lipid-lowering medicine has been started. High cholesterol causes no symptoms whatsoever, which is precisely why it has to be tested rather than felt.

• A baseline check from your thirties, sooner with family history
• Heart disease in a parent or sibling before the age of 55
• Diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or smoking
• Thyroid disease or polycystic ovary syndrome
• Reviewing whether a diet, weight or activity change is working
• Monitoring statin or other lipid-lowering treatment

Normal reference ranges

Ranges are indicative for adults. Your report carries the lab-specific reference range and is reviewed by a LabONE pathologist; always interpret results with your doctor.

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