Cardiovascular
Cholesterol
Also known as: Lipid Profile, LDL, Hyperlipidaemia
Understanding your lipid profile — good and bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and what your numbers mean.
How MedFast.AI helps with cholesterol reports
MedFast.AI explains your lipid profile in context of your other heart-disease risks — not just the raw numbers.
Tests & values you'll see
Click any term to open its plain-language explainer.
LDL Cholesterol
The 'bad' cholesterol — too much builds up in artery walls and raises heart disease risk.
HDL Cholesterol
The 'good' cholesterol — it picks up bad cholesterol and takes it to the liver to be removed.
Triglycerides
Another kind of blood fat. Often goes up with sugary diets, alcohol, or being overweight.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need a statin if my LDL is 130?
It depends on your overall heart-disease risk — age, blood pressure, sugar, family history, smoking. A cardiologist uses risk calculators to decide, not the LDL number alone. Don't start or stop statins without medical advice.
Can lifestyle alone lower LDL by 50 points?
Rarely. Diet and exercise typically drop LDL by 10–20%. Statins drop it by 30–50%. If your LDL is very high, lifestyle helps but usually isn't enough on its own — combine with medication.
Why do my triglycerides swing so much between tests?
Triglycerides are highly sensitive to what you ate in the 24 hours before the test. Alcohol and heavy carbs the night before can double the number. Always fast for 10–12 hours before a lipid profile.
Sources & Standards
The plain-language explanations above draw on published standards from the following bodies. Reference ranges and thresholds vary slightly by lab and demographic — always check the range on your own report and follow your doctor's interpretation.
- Cardiological Society of India (CSI)
Indian cardiology body
Cardiovascular risk thresholds for the Indian population.
- American Heart Association (AHA)
US cardiovascular professional body
Cardiovascular risk targets, lipid management guidelines.
- Association of Physicians of India (API)
Professional body for Indian internists
Adult-medicine clinical guidelines for the Indian population.
- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
India's apex biomedical research body
India-specific clinical guidelines and reference values.
We can be wrong. Explanations here are for comprehension only — confirm every decision with your doctor.
This is a comprehension aid, not medical advice. AI can be wrong. Always confirm any health decision with your doctor.