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Strong

Standard Lipid Panel (Total Cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, Triglycerides)

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · Evidence-graded review — see Methodology

The oldest test on this page and still the one that earns its place most easily. Four numbers from a single draw: total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C and triglycerides. LDL particles deposit cholesterol in arterial walls and initiate atherosclerosis; triglycerides mark remnant-lipoprotein and metabolic burden; HDL-C is an imperfect proxy for reverse cholesterol transport. Fasting was traditionally preferred, though non-fasting samples are now accepted by many guidelines.

Why it grades Strong

Decades of randomised evidence — statins, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors — confirm that lowering LDL-C reduces myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular death, with a clear dose-response relationship demonstrated across trials by the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration. No other test on this site rests on a comparable body of outcome data.

FrequencyEvery 3 years from 40; annually if on lipid therapy or at elevated risk
Cost (SGD)S$20–40 Subsidised for eligible Singaporeans 40+ under Healthier SG Screening (S$0–5 per visit incl. consult).
Appropriate forAdults from 40 (Singapore's national recommendation); earlier with smoking, hypertension, diabetes or a family history of early heart disease

Singapore guidance

Recommended for the general population

Singapore’s national screening committee recommends a lipid panel for the general population from age 40, every three years. Fasting is not required.

Source: Screening Test Review Committee report 2026, Volume 1 (Academy of Medicine Singapore and Ministry of Health, February 2026), Table 2B(ii). The full national list · How this is used.

What you would actually pay

Healthier SG
Subsidised
Cardiovascular risk screening, age 40+, every 3 years. If you are eligible: S$5 or less per visit at a CHAS GP clinic, including the first post-screening consultation.
MediSave
Not among the screenings named for outpatient claims

Source: Healthier SG Screening (HealthHub) and MediSave outpatient care (Ministry of Health). Absence from either list is not a statement that the test is discouraged — only that no subsidy or claim applies. Gross prices compared.

What it costs when it is wrong

Basis
No published harm criterion found
Severity
Not documented

No published harm criterion found for this test.

An empty finding, not a clean bill of health: this means nothing documented was found for this test. It is not a claim that the test is safe.

Screening harm is not only a laboratory question: the committee’s own criteria advise against a test when “the screening test, or follow-up tests arising from a positive screen, are associated with significant medical risks”. Sources on overdiagnosis → · How this is graded.

FAQ

Is the Standard Lipid Panel (Total Cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, Triglycerides) worth doing in Singapore?

For adults without symptoms, Standard Lipid Panel (Total Cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, Triglycerides) sits at the strong grade on our evidence scale. It typically costs S$20–40 in Singapore. Subsidised for eligible Singaporeans 40+ under Healthier SG Screening (S$0–5 per visit incl. consult). Most appropriate for adults from 40 (Singapore's national recommendation); earlier with smoking, hypertension, diabetes or a family history of early heart disease. The usual schedule: every 3 years from 40; annually if on lipid therapy or at elevated risk.

Weighing this against something else? Compare it with two other tests → · Price it inside a panel →