Clinic appointment
Heart & Sugar Check
Cholesterol breakdown and a three-month blood sugar average (HbA1c) with fasting glucose, in one clinic sample.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 1 to 2 working days from lab receipt
- Fasting preferred
What’s included
2 tests included
This count refers to bundled laboratory tests. Their individual measurements are listed below.
Triglycerides
A type of blood fat measured in a standard lipid profile, which does not usually need a fasting sample. A high level is one form of lipid imbalance and is a risk factor for heart and circulatory disease in its own right.
Total cholesterol
The total amount of cholesterol carried in your blood. The result can be split into HDL (good) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, and doctors use it with things like age and blood pressure to estimate the risk of heart and circulation problems.
HDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol is part of a standard cholesterol (lipid) profile. It works against the build-up of fatty plaque in artery walls, so higher levels are linked with a lower risk of heart and circulation disease. A low HDL level is one form of unhealthy blood fat balance (dyslipidaemia).
LDL cholesterol
LDL cholesterol is usually calculated from the other results in a standard cholesterol profile. It plays a major part in fatty plaque building up in artery walls, so a raised level increases the risk of conditions such as heart attack and stroke. It has long been the main target of cholesterol-lowering treatment.
Non-HDL cholesterol
All the cholesterol types that raise heart risk added together in one number. NICE uses it to set cholesterol treatment goals.
Glucose
Measures the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood when the sample is taken. It may be done after not eating for a few hours (a fasting test) or at other times, and the result is judged differently depending on when you last ate. A high level is mainly seen in diabetes.
HbA1c
Reflects blood glucose control over roughly the previous 8 to 12 weeks, without the need to fast. It is used to diagnose type 2 diabetes, but can be misleading in pregnancy, soon after symptoms start, and in people with abnormal haemoglobin, such as sickle cell trait, or altered red blood cell turnover.
Overview
Cholesterol and blood sugar are two heart and stroke risk factors you can change, and they are best read together. This panel reports the full cholesterol breakdown (total, HDL, LDL, non-HDL, triglycerides) with HbA1c and fasting glucose from one clinic sample. It is the sensible first check for anyone over 40, or younger with a family history.
The two measurements a doctor looks at first for heart and metabolic risk, taken together. The lipid profile reports total, HDL, LDL and non-HDL cholesterol and triglycerides; the diabetic profile adds HbA1c, the average blood sugar over roughly the past two to three months, and a fasting glucose. A doctor reads both together and explains what they mean for you.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- Adults over 40 who have never had cholesterol and blood sugar measured
- Anyone with a parent or sibling who has diabetes or early heart disease
Who it isn’t for
- It does not include apoB, lipoprotein(a) or hs-CRP, which the Advanced Heart Health panel adds for a fuller risk picture. It does not include liver or kidney tests. Chest pain or breathlessness needs urgent care, not a cholesterol test.
- Anyone with a new, severe or worsening symptom: contact your GP or call NHS 111. A test you buy today is not a substitute for being examined.
Common reasons people choose this test
- A parent or sibling with heart disease, stroke or diabetes
- Turning 40 and never having had cholesterol checked
- Weight gain around the middle
- High blood pressure
- Wanting a baseline before changing diet or starting exercise
These are reasons people choose to test, not signs that something is wrong. A result is one part of a picture your doctor puts together with your history and an examination.
What your result looks like
Every result is shown with the unit and the reference range exactly as the laboratory reported it, with the doctor’s note underneath.
- Triglycerides▲ High
- Result
- 2.4 mmol/L
- Range
- <1.7 (fasting)
- Total cholesterolIn range
- Result
- 4.6 mmol/L
- Range
- <5.0
- HDL cholesterolIn range
- Result
- 1.5 mmol/L
- Range
- >1.2 / >1.0
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triglycerides | 2.4 | mmol/L | <1.7 (fasting) | ▲ High |
| Total cholesterol | 4.6 | mmol/L | <5.0 | In range |
| HDL cholesterol | 1.5 | mmol/L | >1.2 / >1.0 | In range |
Doctor’s note (example)
Triglycerides are raised, most often from not being fully fasted, alcohol, or sugar. A fasted repeat in a few weeks usually gives a truer figure.
…and 4 more markers. Ranges shown as women / men. Values above are examples. Your report shows your own results with the laboratory’s units and reference range for your age and sex, reviewed, signed and released by a GMC-registered doctor.
How it works
- You book your appointmentA trained clinician takes your sample at one of our London clinics. Nothing to do at home.
- The clinician takes your sampleA single clinic blood draw by a trained clinician
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receipt of your sample.
- A doctor reviews and releases itA GMC-registered doctor reads every result and signs the report before it reaches you.
- Sample
- Clinic blood draw
- Preparation
- Fasting preferred
- Who it's for
- Any sex · ages 18+
How to prepare
A fasted sample is preferred for this test, which usually means nothing but water overnight. It is not essential, and the reviewing doctor takes it into account if you have eaten. If you can, book a morning slot and come before breakfast.
What we can and can’t tell you
The reference range beside each result is the laboratory’s own. A result in range is not a clean bill of health and a result outside it is not a diagnosis. Most ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one range. No test result replaces an examination or your own doctor’s judgement, and none of these panels is a cancer screening programme.
Read the full note
The reference range printed beside each of your results is the laboratory's own, and it is the range that applies to your result. We do not apply a second range of our own, and we do not tell you that a result the laboratory reported as normal is nonetheless too low or too high. If you see a claim elsewhere that your result ought to sit inside a narrower band than the one the laboratory printed, treat it with caution and ask your doctor.
Some assays cannot give an exact figure above or below a certain point, and those results are reported the way the laboratory sends them, for example as a value greater than a stated number. A result in range is not a clean bill of health, and a result outside a range is not a diagnosis: most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people fall just outside them. No blood test replaces an examination, a scan or your own doctor's judgement, and none of these panels is a screening programme for cancer.
If you have a symptom that is new, severe, or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111 rather than waiting for a test result. In an emergency call 999.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to fast?
It helps but is not essential. Nothing but water for 8 to 10 hours beforehand makes the glucose result easier to read, while cholesterol results are hardly affected by eating. A morning appointment makes this easiest.
What is a good cholesterol result?
The laboratory range is printed with each result. As a general guide, the NHS describes total cholesterol below 5 mmol/L and non-HDL cholesterol below 4 mmol/L as healthy for most adults. The doctor explains what your set means against your age and history.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receiving your sample. This does not include kit delivery, sample collection or return postage. A doctor reviews your results before they are released.
Can I choose a home kit or a clinic?
This test is a clinic blood draw, as it needs a venous sample for accuracy. We arrange a convenient appointment for you.
Is a doctor involved?
Yes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor who signs it off and explains what it means and what to do next.
Is it confidential?
Your results are available through your secure patient portal. Our privacy policy explains how your information is handled and when it may be shared to provide your care.
What happens to my sample and results?
Your sample is analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189). A GMC-registered doctor then reads every result and signs the report before it is released, so nothing reaches you unreviewed. There is no option to receive results without a doctor reading them first. The report arrives in your secure portal in plain English: each result with its unit and the laboratory's own reference range, and the doctor's note on what the set means read together. If a result sits outside its range the report says so and explains what usually happens next, which is most often a conversation with your own GP, who can act on it alongside your history and examination. Most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one of them. On a report with many results it is common for one to sit just outside its range, and a single number on its own rarely tells the whole story. If a result needs urgent attention, the reviewing doctor is alerted straight away and we contact you by phone the same working day rather than leaving it in the portal for you to find. If a specific result needs rechecking, the reviewing doctor says so in your report.
People also check
See all heart health tests
Fasting preferredAdvanced Heart HealthEverything in the Heart & Sugar Plus panel, plus thyroid function, lipoprotein(a), apolipoprotein A1 and B, coenzyme Q10 and troponin T.£220.00Includes clinic appointmentView test
Apolipoprotein B TestApolipoprotein B, a count of the cholesterol-carrying particles that can lodge in an artery wall.£55.99Includes postageView test
D-Dimer TestD-Dimer, a protein fragment released into the blood when a blood clot is being broken down.£140.00Includes clinic appointmentView test