Lipid Profile

A lipid profile — also called a cholesterol panel — is a blood test that measures different types of fats in your bloodstream: total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and triglycerides. It is a key screening tool for assessing your heart disease risk. High LDL and triglyceride levels are common in people carrying excess weight, and these numbers typically improve with weight loss.

A fasting lipid profile (FLP) quantifies total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides from a venous blood sample after a 9–12 hour fast. Target values per Singapore MOH clinical practice guidelines: LDL-C < 3.4 mmol/L, HDL-C > 1.0 mmol/L (men) or > 1.3 mmol/L (women), triglycerides < 1.7 mmol/L, and total cholesterol < 5.2 mmol/L. Non-HDL-C (total minus HDL) is increasingly used as a superior atherogenic risk marker, with a target < 3.4 mmol/L. The test should be repeated within 3–6 months of initiating lifestyle or pharmacological intervention.

A lipid profile is one of the most important screening tests in weight management. Dr Joseph Wang uses it at Accord Medical to establish baseline cardiovascular risk and monitor how your lipid numbers improve as you lose weight — giving you objective evidence that your health is getting better.