Detailed Explanation of Blood Lipid Test Reports: Symbols, Normal Ranges, and Clinical Significance

Avoid Misunderstanding Lipid Test Reports: For patients with hyperlipidemia, learning to understand lipid test reports is essential. It not only helps them understand their condition but also guides their treatment. One common difficulty in interpreting test reports is understanding the English symbols used. Here are a few simple examples:

TG: Represents triglycerides.

TC or T-CHO: Represents total cholesterol in plasma.

HDL-C: Represents high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma.

LDL-C: Represents low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma.

APO: Represents apolipoproteins in plasma.

Currently, commonly used clinical tests include six items: total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, apolipoprotein A1, and apolipoprotein B (the first two are conventionally referred to as the two lipid tests, the first four as the four lipid tests, and all six as the six lipid tests). The normal values ​​for these indicators are as follows:

(1) Serum total cholesterol: 3.36–5.18 mmol/L (130–200 mg/dL).

(2) Serum triglycerides: 0.45–1.81 mmol/L (40–160 mg/dL) for men, and 0.23–1.22 mmol/L (20–108 mg/dL) for women.

(3) Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL): 0.9–2.19 mmol/L (35–85 mg/dL).

(4) Serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL): ≤3.12 mmol/L (120 mg/dL).

(5) Apolipoprotein A1: 1.10–1.60 g/L (110–160 mg/dL).

(6) Apolipoprotein B: 0.69–0.99 g/L (69–99 mg/dL). The ratio of apolipoprotein A to B should normally be higher than 1.30. In hyperlipidemia, this ratio often drops below 1.0. In summary, hyperlipidemia is mainly caused by elevated total cholesterol, the main component of which is low-density lipoprotein (LDL). LDL binds to apolipoprotein B, inevitably leading to a decrease in the apolipoprotein A to B ratio.

When the above values ​​on a blood lipid test report exceed the normal range, it should be considered whether the blood was drawn on an empty stomach and whether the subject consumed alcohol. Furthermore, seasonal changes and diseases can also affect the results of blood lipid tests.

Clinically, there are also reasons for this, mainly affecting the following six aspects:

(1) Triglycerides: Elevated levels can lead to hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, diabetes, nephrotic syndrome, bile duct obstruction, hypothyroidism, acute pancreatitis, glycogen storage disease, and essential hypertriglyceridemia.

(2) Low-density lipoprotein (LDL): Increased levels may lead to coronary heart disease and stroke caused by atherosclerosis. (3) Total cholesterol: Elevated levels can lead to bile duct obstruction, nephrotic syndrome, chronic glomerulonephritis, amyloidosis, atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism, infectious hepatitis, portal cirrhosis, certain types of chronic pancreatitis, spontaneous hypercholesterolemia, familial hyperalpha-lipoproteinemia, senile cataracts, and psoriasis. Decreased levels can cause severe anemia, acute infections, hyperthyroidism, steatorrhea, tuberculosis, and malnutrition.

(4) Apolipoproteins: Apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B can be used to estimate cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk. Decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and apolipoprotein A1, and increased apolipoprotein B, are most pronounced in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, leading to hyperlipoproteinemia and other abnormal lipoproteinemia.

(5) High-density lipoprotein (HDL): Decreased levels may lead to coronary heart disease.