Private Cholesterol Test (Lipid Profile): £49, results in 24 hours
The full lipid profile from one sample, £49
The full cholesterol blood test, also called a lipid profile or lipid panel: total cholesterol, HDL and LDL, non-HDL cholesterol (the figure UK guidelines use), the TC/HDL ratio, triglycerides and VLDL. Reviewed by a doctor against the UK targets, with results emailed within 24 hours. No GP referral needed. Have your blood taken at our Kings Heath clinic in Birmingham with no blood-draw fee, at one of 100+ partner clinics across the UK, or at home.
Includes: all 8 lipid markers, the lab fee, a doctor’s review of your results against the UK targets and a written report by email, usually within 24 hours. Nothing to pay on the day at the Birmingham clinic.
Book a cholesterol test online- No referral needed
- Fasting advised
- Results in 24 hours
- Doctor-reviewed
- CQC-registered clinic
What a cholesterol test checks
A cholesterol test measures the fats (lipids) carried in your blood and how they are packaged. Cholesterol itself is not the problem; the particles that carry it are. LDL and the other non-HDL particles deposit cholesterol in artery walls, HDL carries it away, and triglycerides are the fat your body stores from sugar and alcohol. Read together they give your risk of a heart attack or stroke over the next ten years, and they show whether a change of diet, exercise or a statin is working.
- Total cholesterol the serum cholesterol level: all the cholesterol carried in your blood, good and bad together. Under 5 mmol/L is the usual target, but the split between HDL and the rest matters more than the total.
- HDL high-density lipoprotein, the “good” cholesterol that carries cholesterol away from the artery walls. Higher is better: above 1.0 mmol/L in men and 1.2 in women. Exercise raises it; smoking and excess weight lower it.
- LDL low-density lipoprotein, the “bad” cholesterol that is deposited in artery walls and drives heart attacks and strokes. Under 3 mmol/L for most people; lower targets apply if you already have heart disease or diabetes.
- Non-HDL cholesterol your total cholesterol minus the HDL: all of the harmful kinds added together. It is the figure UK guidelines (NICE) now use to judge risk and to check that treatment is working. Under 4 mmol/L is the usual target.
- TC/HDL ratio total cholesterol divided by HDL. A single number for the balance between harmful and protective cholesterol, used in the QRISK heart-risk calculation. Under 4 is good; above 6 is high risk.
- Triglycerides the fat the body stores from sugar, refined carbohydrate and alcohol. High levels add to heart risk and, when very high, can cause pancreatitis. Under 1.7 mmol/L fasting; they rise after a meal, which is why we ask you to fast.
- HDL % HDL as a share of your total cholesterol. Above 20% is reassuring; a low share means most of your cholesterol is the kind that builds up in arteries.
- VLDL very-low-density lipoprotein, the particle that carries triglycerides from the liver. Calculated from the triglyceride level; it rises and falls with it.
When to have one
High cholesterol causes no symptoms at all. The only way to know is to test, and the NHS recommends every adult knows their numbers from the age of 40, earlier with a family history. A cholesterol test is worth having if any of these apply:
- You are over 40 and have never had your cholesterol checked, or it is more than five years since the last one
- A parent, brother or sister had a heart attack or stroke before 60, or has been told they have high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolaemia runs in families and is under-diagnosed)
- You have high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, are overweight, or smoke
- You have changed your diet, started exercising, or started a statin and want to see the effect (allow three months)
- You have been told your cholesterol was borderline and want it rechecked with the full profile rather than a finger-prick total
- You are of South Asian ancestry, in which heart disease starts earlier, or you want a baseline before a weight-loss programme or weight-loss injection
What happens
- Book online and choose where to have your blood taken: the Kings Heath clinic, a partner clinic near you or a home visit. Pay once; there is nothing to pay on the day.
- Give one small blood sample, ideally after fasting for 10 to 12 hours (water is fine), so the triglyceride result is accurate. A morning appointment makes this easy.
- The lab measures the lipids at a UKAS-accredited laboratory and calculates LDL, non-HDL, VLDL and the ratio from them.
- A doctor reviews your results against the UK targets and emails you a written report, usually within 24 hours, saying what your numbers mean for your heart risk and what, if anything, to do about them.
- If something needs following up, the report says what: usually diet and exercise changes with a repeat test in three months, a check of your blood pressure, blood sugar and thyroid, or a GP appointment to discuss whether a statin is right for you. We write to your NHS GP with your consent.
How to prepare
- Fast for 10 to 12 hours before the test: nothing but water from the evening before. Fasting matters for triglycerides; the cholesterol figures barely change. If you cannot fast, have the test anyway and tell us: a non-fasting result is still valid for cholesterol and the report will say so.
- Take your usual medicines, including a statin if you are on one.
- Avoid alcohol for 24 hours and a heavy, fatty meal the night before, as both push triglycerides up.
- Do not test within six weeks of a significant illness, infection, operation or heart attack, which temporarily lower cholesterol and give a falsely reassuring result.
Where to have your blood taken
The test, the laboratory and the doctor’s report are the same wherever you live. Only the blood-draw fee differs, and it is charged once per visit however many tests you add.
Want more from the same sample? Add a HbA1c, liver function test or thyroid test and the blood is taken once, with the multi-test discount applied at checkout.
Normal ranges and what a high result means
| Marker | Typical adult range |
|---|---|
| Total cholesterol | below 5.0 mmol/L |
| HDL cholesterol | above 1.0 mmol/L (men), above 1.2 mmol/L (women) |
| LDL cholesterol | below 3.0 mmol/L |
| Non-HDL cholesterol | below 4.0 mmol/L |
| TC/HDL ratio | below 4; above 6 is high risk |
| Triglycerides (fasting) | below 1.7 mmol/L (below 2.3 if not fasted) |
These are the healthy-adult targets used in the UK, not laboratory ranges: cholesterol has no “normal”, only levels at which risk is lower. If you have already had a heart attack or stroke, or have diabetes or kidney disease, your doctor sets lower targets (typically LDL under 2.0 and non-HDL under 2.6 mmol/L). Women tend to run a slightly higher HDL and the same LDL targets apply.
A high result is common (over half of UK adults are above 5 mmol/L) and is not a diagnosis of heart disease; it is one input into your ten-year risk, alongside age, sex, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and family history. What matters is the whole picture, which is what the report gives you. A very high LDL (above 5 mmol/L) or a strong family history raises the question of familial hypercholesterolaemia, which needs treatment whatever the risk score. These are the tests we add when a result needs explaining, all bookable at the same clinic:
Questions people ask
What does a cholesterol test measure?
A full cholesterol test, or lipid profile, measures total cholesterol, HDL (the protective kind), LDL (the harmful kind), non-HDL cholesterol (all the harmful kinds together, the figure UK guidelines use), the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and VLDL. Together they give your risk of a heart attack or stroke over the next ten years and show whether lifestyle changes or treatment are working. “Serum cholesterol” and “serum lipids” are simply the laboratory names for the same test.
What are normal cholesterol levels in the UK?
For a healthy adult the UK targets are total cholesterol below 5 mmol/L, LDL below 3, non-HDL below 4, HDL above 1.0 for men and 1.2 for women, a total-to-HDL ratio below 4, and fasting triglycerides below 1.7. The same targets apply to women and men, although women tend to have a slightly higher HDL. If you already have heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease your doctor sets lower targets. There is no true “normal”: risk falls steadily the lower the LDL and non-HDL are.
Do I need to fast before a cholesterol test?
Fasting for 10 to 12 hours, water only, is advised because triglycerides rise after eating; the cholesterol figures themselves barely change. UK guidelines accept non-fasting samples for cholesterol, so if you cannot fast, have the test anyway and tell us, and the report will read the triglycerides against the non-fasting cut-off. Take your usual medicines as normal.
How much does a private cholesterol test cost?
£49 at OneMedicine for the full eight-marker profile, which includes the laboratory fee, a doctor’s review against the UK targets and a written report by email. There is no blood-draw fee at our Birmingham clinic. At a partner clinic elsewhere in the UK the blood-draw fee is £29, and a home visit in England is £60, charged once per visit however many tests you have.
Is a pharmacy finger-prick cholesterol test as good?
A pharmacy or home finger-prick test usually gives total cholesterol and sometimes HDL from a drop of blood, which is a useful first screen but not the full picture: it does not reliably give LDL, non-HDL or triglycerides, the figures a doctor needs to assess your risk and to decide on treatment, and finger-prick readings vary more than a laboratory sample. If a finger-prick test came back raised or borderline, the next step is the laboratory profile.
What is non-HDL cholesterol and why does my report highlight it?
Non-HDL cholesterol is your total cholesterol minus the HDL: LDL plus every other harmful particle added together. UK guidelines (NICE) use it instead of LDL to assess risk and to check treatment, because it captures the triglyceride-rich particles LDL misses and it does not need a fasting sample. The target is below 4 mmol/L for healthy adults, and below 2.6 if you have had a heart attack or stroke or have diabetes.
My cholesterol is high. What happens next?
First, it is put into context. The report explains your numbers and, with your age, blood pressure, smoking and family history, where your ten-year heart risk sits; a GP can calculate your QRISK score precisely. For most people the first step is three months of changes, less saturated fat, more fibre, oily fish, exercise and weight loss if needed, then a repeat test. If risk is high (QRISK above 10%), LDL is very high, or there is a family history of early heart disease, a statin is discussed; they are safe, cheap and cut risk by about a quarter. Very high LDL with a family history is tested for familial hypercholesterolaemia.
How long do cholesterol test results take?
Results are usually emailed within 24 hours of the sample reaching the lab, often the same evening for a sample taken at the Birmingham clinic. Samples from partner clinics and home visits are couriered to the same laboratory and typically take one to two working days.
How often should I have my cholesterol checked?
Every five years from the age of 40 if the result is normal, which is what the NHS Health Check offers. Every year if it was high, if you are on a statin, if you have diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease, or if there is a family history of early heart disease. Three months after any change in diet, exercise or medication, to see whether it worked. Lipoprotein(a), the inherited risk marker, only needs measuring once.
Should I add ApoB or lipoprotein(a)?
Not for a first routine check. ApoB counts the harmful particles directly and is the better predictor when triglycerides are high, in diabetes, or when the standard result is borderline and you want certainty before deciding on treatment. Lipoprotein(a) is inherited and a standard test cannot see it; it is worth measuring once if a parent or sibling had a heart attack or stroke early. The Heart Health panel includes both with the full profile.
Read more
- Do You Need a Cholesterol Test?
- HDL vs LDL Cholesterol Explained
- What Are Triglycerides and Why Do They Matter?
OneMedicine, 1 High Street, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7AR. Opposite Kings Heath railway station, on-site parking. CQC-registered.
