Cholesterol Blood Test
If you're concerned about your heart health, our cholesterol home blood test is an easy and accurate way to check your levels.
5 Biomarkers
Tracked 24 delivery & return
Results in 2 working days
£ 41
7 mins read
LDL is also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol and measuring your levels can give you a good insight into your risk of developing heart disease.
Written by Leanne Edermaniger
April 19, 2024
Reviewed by:
Dr Thom PhillipsLow-density lipoprotein (LDL), sometimes referred to as LDL cholesterol, is a type of fat that circulates in the bloodstream transporting cholesterol around the body. LDL is commonly known as bad cholesterol because it deposits excess cholesterol on the artery walls.
The excess can form plaques which cause your blood vessels to narrow making it more difficult for blood to travel to your vital organs. If the vessels become too blocked and blood flow is severely restricted or some of the plaque breaks away and causes a blockage elsewhere, it increases the risk of cardiovascular problems such as angina, heart attacks, and strokes[1].
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, however, is known as ‘good’ cholesterol because it returns cholesterol back to the liver where it can be processed and removed from the body.
Ideally, LDL cholesterol should be below 3.0 mmol/L to be within a healthy range[2]. Our data shows that 48% of Forth customers have high LDL levels which can be broken down by age:
Age | Average LDL level (mmol/L) | % of Forth Customers with a High LDL Level |
18-29 | 2.6 | 26.6% |
30-39 | 2.9 | 42.5% |
40-49 | 3.1 | 50,3% |
50-59 | 3.4 | 66.1% |
60+ | 3.4 | 61.6% |
Research shows that LDL:HDL ratio is likely to be a better predictor of atherosclerosis and heart disease compared to LDL measurements alone[3]. Previous studies have shown that a high LDL to HDL ratio is associated with cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks[4]. It’s also called non-HDL cholesterol and is effectively your total cholesterol minus your ‘good’ or HDL cholesterol, giving you a total figure of the bad cholesterol in the blood, including LDL. Ideally, this figure should be as low as possible.
According to the British Heart Foundation, one in fourteen women die from coronary heart disease (CHD) in the UK per year. It may also surprise you to learn that CHD kills more than twice as many women in the UK as breast cancer so it’s a big problem.
Unfortunately, often the first symptom of CHD is a heart attack, at which point it’s a little late! Research has suggested that the changes in hormones that happen during menopause can affect the way cholesterol is processed, increasing your risk closer to that of a man of a similar age.
Oestrogen, known for its cardioprotective effects, declines during menopause, leading to increases in total cholesterol levels, and specifically, an increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)
Although we often think about Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to alleviate the classic menopausal symptoms it is also important to consider that the extra oestrogen may potentially mitigate these adverse changes in lipid metabolism. This is something you should discuss with your GP.
The risk of high cholesterol increases with age. Total cholesterol levels steadily rise between the ages of 20 and 65, before plateauing for women and falling slightly in men[5].
There are several other risk factors for high levels of circulating LDL, including a family history. For example, familial hypercholesterolaemia is a genetic disease where the body struggles to clear LDL cholesterol from the body, increasing the risk of early heart disease[6]. Because it is genetic, it is passed down through families with approximately 1 in 250 people affected.
People who are living with metabolic diseases such as obesity or type 2 diabetes are also at a greater risk of developing high levels of bad cholesterol. One study has shown that 62% of people with type 2 diabetes were at a high risk of increased LDL cholesterol levels[7].
Unhealthy behaviours or lifestyle choices also increase the risk of high blood LDL levels, including:
There are several other risk factors for high LDL cholesterol. They are:
High cholesterol doesn’t often present with any symptoms, so it is possible to be walking around with high LDL and not know anything about it. That’s why it is called a ‘silent killer’. For this reason, it is important to monitor your levels with a cholesterol test, to measure your cardiovascular risk.
If you have an inherited condition that causes high LDL levels, then you may have some noticeable signs, such as:
Low LDL levels can be caused by genetics or acquired or environmental factors.
The most common genetic cause of low LDL levels is an inherited condition called heterozygous familial hypobetalipoproteinaemia. It means that the body can’t properly absorb and transport fats[11].
Some of the symptoms associated with low LDL levels may include:
Fortunately, there are things you can do to proactively help lower or improve your LDL cholesterol levels. They include:
If a medical professional is concerned about your LDL levels they may prescribe medication which can help bring it down, like statins.
Testing your LDL levels at home is simple with a range of at-home blood tests from Forth.
We offer the following tests which measure LDL cholesterol levels:
Cholesterol Blood Test. Measuring five key biomarkers for heart health, this test will give you an accurate view of your lipid profile, including LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, HDL ratio, and triglycerides.
Baseline Health Check. This test measures 25 biomarkers to give you a snapshot into your overall health and wellbeing, including heart health, bone health, liver function, and energy levels.
Ultimate Health Check. For a more comprehensive view of your health, this test includes 47 biomarkers to analyse your heart health, thyroid function, immunity, hormones, and much more.
Nutricheck – Vitamin Deficiency Blood Test. Use this test to find out how your diet is contributing to your overall health and wellbeing.
As well as measuring total cholesterol, HDL, HDL ratio, and triglycerides alongside LDL, we also recommend:
Based in the UK, Leanne specialises in writing about health, medicine, nutrition, and fitness.
She has over 5 years of experience in writing about health and lifestyle and has a BSc (hons) Biomedical Science and an MSc Science, Communication and Society.
All these tests include LDL. Select the test that suits your personal needs.
Certified for quality & security
Mohamed, E., Mohamed, M., & Rashid, F. A. (2004). Dyslipidaemic pattern of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The Malaysian journal of medical sciences : MJMS, 11(1), 44–51.
Tsimikas, S., Willerson, J.T. and Ridker, P.M. (2006) ‘C-reactive protein and other emerging blood biomarkers to optimize risk stratification of vulnerable patients’, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 47(8). doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2005.10.066.
Thom works in NHS general practice and has a decade of experience working in both male and female elite sport. He has a background in exercise physiology and has published research into fatigue biomarkers.
Dr Thom Phillips
Head of Clinical Services