Cholesterol Screening
Also known as: cholesterol test.
What is cholesterol screening?
A cholesterol screening is a blood test that measures your levels of different types of cholesterol. These include total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides.
What happens during the test?
The doctor or nurse will collect a small sample of blood from your arm using a syringe.Is any special preparation needed?
You may need to avoid food, drink and certain medications for 9 to 12 hours before the test.
What are the risk factors?
None.
What to expect?
Cholesterol screening at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is frequently done as a good measure of overall health and also as a test for diagnosing certain diseases. Universal cholesterol screening is recommended at 9-11 years of age and at 17-21 years of age. (National Institute of Health, Expert Panel report– 2012).
Reviewed by: Danyal M Khan, MD
This page was last updated on: September 16, 2025 12:39 PM
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