A battery of blood tests to evaluate cholesterol and triglycerides (lipids, or "fat-like" substances). These are indicators of risk for heart disease.

Adult or child:
Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic, and a tourniquet (an elastic band) or blood pressure cuff is placed around the upper arm to apply pressure and restrict blood flow through the vein. This causes veins below the tourniquet to distend (fill with blood). A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an airtight vial or a syringe. During the procedure, the tourniquet is removed to restore circulation. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.

Infant or young child:
The area is cleansed with antiseptic and punctured with a sharp needle or a lancet. The blood may be collected in a pipette (small glass tube), on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a small container. Cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site if there is any continued bleeding.

The blood is analyzed by the laboratory to determine the levels of:

• triglycerides
• LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol
• HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol
• total cholesterol
• serum VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) cholesterol

The coronary risk profile is most often performed:

• as a screening examination to determine the general health of the person
• when there is a history of heart disorders or other disorders related to atherosclerosis
• to determine the effect of diet and medications to control hypercholesterolemia

• triglycerides: 10 to 190 mg/dl
• LDLcholesterol: 60 to 120 mg/dl
• HDL cholesterol: 35 to 100 mg/dl
• total cholesterol: 100 to 240 mg/dl
• VLDL: 2 to 38 mg/dl

Note: mg/dl = milligrams per deciliter

Elevated values indicate an increased risk for atherosclerosis and related disorders, including heart disease (see also the individual components), except for HDL, where high values (>35 mg/dl) are protective and thus desirable.

Conditions under which the test may be performed:

• acute MI
• atheroembolic renal disease
• familial hyperlipidemia
• familial hypertriglyceridemia
• familial hypercholesterolemia (FH)
• hyperlipidemia; acquired or secondary
• ischemic cardiomyopathy
• stroke secondary to atherosclerosis
• transient ischemic attack (TIA)

• excessive bleeding
• fainting or feeling lightheaded
• hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
• infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
• multiple punctures to locate veins

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.