Lipid Screening

A lipid panel is a blood test for your blood lipids. This panel measures your total cholesterol, your HDL cholesterol, your LDL cholesterol and your triglycerides.

No single value is dangerous on its own. For non-fasting blood the Dutch NHG guideline uses 5.0 mmol/l as the cut-off for total cholesterol, so a reading of 4.4 sits below it while 5.4 and 6.2 fall in the band above it. That band runs to 8.0 mmol/l, so even 7.8 is below the point where a doctor would start considering an inherited lipid disorder.

There is no single normal LDL value, because what is desirable depends on your overall cardiovascular risk. As a general target the Dutch NVKC uses an LDL below 3.0 mmol/l and an HDL above 1.55 mmol/l. For non-fasting triglycerides the cut-off is 2.0 mmol/l.

No, fasting is not required. We grade your values against the NHG non-fasting cut-offs, so you can have your blood taken at any time of day. Fasting does give a slightly cleaner triglyceride reading, so it is a bonus if it happens to suit you.

Non-HDL cholesterol is your total cholesterol minus your HDL cholesterol, which adds up all the unfavourable cholesterol. This panel measures both your total cholesterol and your HDL cholesterol. For non-fasting blood the NHG uses 3.9 mmol/l as the cut-off.

Blood lipids often shift alongside weight loss, and triglycerides tend to respond fastest. Measuring at more than one point shows how your own values develop. Discuss your results with your GP.

This test costs €80,-. The blood draw is part of it, so there are no extra draw costs; you pay yourself.

No. We arrange the referral through ZorgDomein within one business day of your order; order after 17:00 or at the weekend and that business day starts later. The ZorgDomein email contains a barcode, which you show at the draw site. At a few draw sites you choose a time on your order page, or we schedule the appointment for you.

No. Blood testing you request yourself is not part of the basic Dutch insurance. You pay it yourself, and it does not come off your deductible (eigen risico).

Count on one business day, and a day extra if you order after 17:00 or at the weekend. That is how long the referral email takes, and without that referral you cannot be drawn yet. At some draw sites you then walk in without an appointment; the others work by appointment. Each location says which.

The barcode from the ZorgDomein email and a valid ID. You show the barcode on your phone; you do not need to print it. Without a BSN you get no barcode in the email, and you print the referral form from the link in the email.

Yes, take your medication as normal, unless your own doctor said something else. Some tests ask for more, such as no alcohol for 24 hours or no heavy training for 48 hours. You read that on the test and in the instructions with your order.

At the draw site you show the barcode and a valid ID. Then your blood is taken; allow about a quarter of an hour.

Yes. Every result gets an assessment from a BIG-registered doctor, with an explanation of your values in your account. Treatment you discuss with your GP.

SlimmerLab works with a network of independent, certified laboratories spread across the Netherlands. Those laboratories also manage the draw sites; SlimmerLab is not their owner. Reference values can differ slightly from laboratory to laboratory.

No. Your test does not go through your GP and does not enter your medical record. Your data goes to a healthcare provider only if you give written consent, and it is never sold. Anonymous testing is not possible: a valid result requires your name, date of birth and a valid ID.