Lipid Panel
The standard cholesterol workup for cardiovascular risk, and the baseline for tracking diet, exercise, or statin response.
Consider this test if:
- Setting a cardiovascular baseline or due for routine screening every 4 to 6 years
- Family history of high cholesterol, early heart disease, or familial hypercholesterolemia
- Tracking how diet, weight loss, exercise, or a statin is moving your numbers
- Evaluating metabolic syndrome alongside blood pressure, waist, and glucose
- High triglycerides or a history of pancreatitis you want to monitor
- HSA/FSA eligible
- Typical results in 1 day · Reviewed by a real clinician
- Drawn at a CLIA/CAP-accredited lab near you ·
Pre-test considerations
Fasting is not strictly required, but a 12-to-14-hour fast (8 hours acceptable) is recommended when triglycerides matter, such as screening for familial hypercholesterolemia, early heart disease, or hypertriglyceridemia. Stay on your usual diet for two to three weeks beforehand so the result reflects your normal pattern. Lipid panels are best deferred for about three months after a heart attack. Certain drugs, including N-acetylcysteine and metamizole, can falsely lower cholesterol.
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What this test is for
A lipid panel measures total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides, and calculated LDL, VLDL, and non-HDL cholesterol, plus the cholesterol/HDL and LDL/HDL ratios. Together these reflect how much cholesterol is circulating and how it is distributed, which is central to estimating risk of heart attack, stroke, and atherosclerotic disease, and to diagnosing metabolic syndrome. High LDL and triglycerides raise cardiovascular risk; low HDL and a high cholesterol/HDL ratio point the same direction. The LDL it reports is calculated rather than directly measured, which is accurate for most people but less reliable at very high triglycerides.
This is the right test for routine risk screening and for tracking change over time. If you want to count atherogenic particles directly, the separate ApoB and NMR particle panels add information that the cholesterol numbers alone can miss, especially with high triglycerides or metabolic syndrome.
Biomarkers tested
Includes 5 biomarkers
HDL cholesterol measures the fraction of cholesterol carried by particles that pull excess cholesterol out of artery walls and ferry it back to the liver for disposal, a process called reverse cholesterol transport. Low HDL removes less cholesterol from circulation and tracks with higher cardiovascular risk, often alongside high triglycerides, excess visceral fat, insulin resistance, or a sedentary lifestyle. Checking it alongside ApoB and triglycerides gives a fuller risk picture than total cholesterol alone, and it's a useful marker for tracking how exercise, weight loss, or alcohol reduction shift your lipid profile over time.
- Specimen
- Serum or plasma
- Measures
- Mass concentration
LDL cholesterol refers to the cholesterol carried by LDL particles, the ones that lodge in artery walls and seed plaque. High LDL is the classic driver of atherosclerosis and a core input for cardiovascular risk, useful as a baseline and for tracking response to diet, exercise, or statin therapy. Because it's calculated rather than directly measured, it loses accuracy when triglycerides run high, which is when a direct LDL or ApoB test tells you more.
- Specimen
- Serum or plasma
- Method
- Calculated
- Measures
- Mass concentration
Total cholesterol adds up everything your blood carries: LDL, HDL, and a fraction of your triglycerides. It's a decent starting snapshot but a blunt one, since it can't tell you whether the load is mostly protective HDL or the LDL particles that drive plaque, which is why it's best read alongside ApoB or an LDL/HDL breakdown rather than on its own. Useful as a baseline cardiovascular check or to track how diet, weight change, or medication are shifting your lipid picture over time.
- Specimen
- Serum or plasma
- Measures
- Mass concentration
Triglycerides measure the fat circulating in your blood after your body packages up unused calories, mostly from carbs and alcohol, for storage. High levels signal that your liver is overwhelmed with fuel it can't burn, a pattern common with excess sugar, alcohol, weight gain, or insulin resistance, and one that drives cardiovascular risk independent of LDL. Pair it with fasting insulin and HDL to see the full metabolic picture, and track it when you cut sugar, alcohol, or refined carbs to see if the intervention is actually working.
- Specimen
- Serum or plasma
- Measures
- Mass concentration
VLDL cholesterol tracks the cholesterol packed into VLDL particles, the fat-and-triglyceride carriers your liver ships out to deliver energy to tissues. This value is calculated (typically triglycerides divided by 5), so it rises whenever triglycerides run high, flagging excess liver fat production often tied to insulin resistance, weight gain, alcohol intake, or a high-sugar diet. Elevated VLDL adds to your atherogenic particle burden alongside LDL, making it useful context for cardiovascular risk and for tracking how diet, exercise, or metabolic treatment are moving your triglycerides over time.
- Specimen
- Serum or plasma
- Method
- Calculated
- Measures
- Mass concentration
What you'll learn
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Insights that connect the dots. A clinician reads your whole picture, not one result in isolation, connecting family history, past results, and lifestyle into clear next steps.
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Your personalized action plan. Nutrition, supplements, and training in one clinician-reviewed protocol, updated as your results change.
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Track your trends. Upload results from any lab and see each biomarker trend over time, so you know what is working.
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Never miss a recheck. Mito tells you what is worth retesting and when, then reminds you so nothing slips.
What to expect
- 1 Book instantly
Click, book, done. Choose a convenient lab location near you. Transparent, up-front pricing.
- 2 Quick lab visit
Testing to fit your busy schedule, usually 15 minutes or less. Walk-in and appointments available.
- 3 Typical results in 1 day
Your results post straight to your dashboard as soon as the lab completes them.
- 4 Expert guidance
Included with Mito membership. A clinician reviews your results and your personalized action plan follows, with clear next steps.
Everything your health needs,
in one membership
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Every test at our cost
Members pay our cost on every test, with lab fees passed straight through. The full receipt is itemized, never padded.
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Continuous tracking, all in one place
Upload past labs and watch your trends over time. Every marker and visit lives in one longitudinal record, so all your care stays together.
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Year-round clinician support
Text anytime and get clinician-reviewed answers. When you want to go deeper, 1:1 consultations are available at affordable rates.
All for $9/month
Order any test or consult without joining. For $9/month, members unlock member prices, trend tracking, and year-round clinician guidance.
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Frequently asked questions
View all FAQsHow does pricing work?
Every test shows the member price next to the standard non-member price, so you can see what membership saves you. The member price is our cost, covering the lab and what it takes to run the service. It is never a profit on the test itself. Mito makes its money on the $9 membership, not on marking up your tests. Membership is $9 per month, and any applicable lab order or draw fee is itemized before you pay.
Where do I get tested?
Choose an available partner lab at checkout. If your cart contains multiple blood tests, Mito helps consolidate the eligible tests at one lab when possible. At-home kits and scans follow the collection or appointment process shown on their product page.
Is this eligible for HSA/FSA?
Yes. Eligible tests can be paid for with an HSA or FSA card at checkout.
When will I get my results?
Your results appear in your Mito dashboard after the laboratory completes processing. A clinician then reviews them before your analysis and personalized action plan are finalized. Timing varies by test, and specialty assays and at-home kits may take longer.
Do I need a physician's order?
No. Mito provides the laboratory order when one is required, so you do not need to arrange a separate physician visit before purchasing.
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