Comprehensive Lipid Assessment
Assessment Stage: Baseline Assessment
Included in Future Health Assessment: Yes
Partner: DHM Pathology & Bloody Good Blood Tests
Provider: DHM Pathology / Bloody Good Blood Tests
Approximate Cost: Included in Future Health Assessment
What is it?
A Comprehensive Lipid Assessment evaluates the fats circulating in your bloodstream that influence cardiovascular health. Unlike traditional cholesterol testing alone, Future Health includes advanced lipid biomarkers that provide a more accurate assessment of future cardiovascular risk.
Current evidence suggests that ApoB is one of the strongest blood-based predictors of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, while Lipoprotein(a) identifies inherited cardiovascular risk that cannot be detected by standard cholesterol testing.
What does it measure?
-
Total Cholesterol
HDL Cholesterol
LDL Cholesterol
Non-HDL Cholesterol
Triglycerides
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Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)
Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]
Why is it important?
Abnormal blood lipids contribute to the gradual development of atherosclerosis—the build-up of plaque within arteries—which may eventually lead to:
Heart attack
Stroke
Peripheral artery disease
Coronary artery disease
Many people with significant cardiovascular disease have no symptoms until a major event occurs.
A comprehensive lipid assessment allows earlier identification of risk and more personalised prevention strategies.
Who may benefit?
Recommended for all adults.
Particularly important for people with:
Family history of heart disease
Elevated blood pressure
Diabetes
Kidney disease
High cholesterol
Previous cardiovascular disease
Family history of elevated Lipoprotein(a)
What happens during the assessment?
A routine blood sample is collected.
Fasting is preferred, although many lipid markers remain reliable without fasting.
Preparation
Overnight fasting is preferred.
Continue usual medications unless otherwise advised.
Advantages
Strong evidence base
Includes advanced biomarkers
Better cardiovascular risk prediction than traditional cholesterol testing alone
Helps personalise prevention strategies
Limitations
Blood lipids represent only one component of cardiovascular risk and should always be interpreted alongside blood pressure, fitness, body composition, family history and lifestyle.
How Future Health uses this investigation
Results are integrated with:
Blood pressure
VO₂max
DEXA
InBody
CAC score (when performed)
Lifestyle assessment
Family history
to provide an individualised cardiovascular risk assessment.
Future Health Summary
A comprehensive lipid assessment provides one of the foundations of preventive cardiovascular medicine. Measuring ApoB and Lipoprotein(a) allows more accurate identification of future cardiovascular risk than cholesterol testing alone.