Total cholesterol. This is the simplest and least expensive test, and fasting isn't necessary. The test doesn't require any sophisticated lab work, either. The simple, do-it-yourself home cholesterol tests measure total cholesterol.
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According to 2004 guidelines, an HDL level of 60 or above is protective against heart disease, and below 40 makes you vulnerable to it.
The ratio of total cholesterol-to-HDL is important; the smaller the number the better. For example, someone with a total cholesterol of 200 and an HDL of 60 would have a ratio of 3.3 (200 ÷ 60 = 3.3). If that person's HDL was low — let's say 35 —the total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio would be higher: 5.7.
Reports from the Framingham Heart Study suggest that for men, a total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio of 5 signifies average risk for heart disease; 3.4, about half the average risk; and 9.6, about double the average risk. Women tend to have higher HDL levels, so for them, a ratio of 4.4 signifies average risk; 3.3 is about half the average; and 7, about double.
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C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein in the blood that increases with inflammation. Because atherosclerosis is fundamentally an inflammatory process, many experts believe that CRP testing could lead to early detection and therefore save lives. The American Heart Association says CRP tests are warranted for people at intermediate risk for heart disease, but not those at the low and high ends of the risk spectrum.
You should get a fasting cholesterol test at least once every five years for everyone beginning at age 20. A fasting cholesterol test gives you the important numbers: total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol, as well as triglyceride levels.
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