Test components
- Total cholesterol: Overall cholesterol level (LDL + VLDL + HDL)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: The type of cholesterol known as “bad cholesterol.” It can collect in blood vessels and increase risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol: This is a type of cholesterol that’s usually present in very low amounts when the blood sample is a fasting samples since it’s mostly comes from food recently eaten. An increase in this type of cholesterol in a fasting sample may be a sign of abnormal lipid metabolism.
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol: The type of cholesterol known as “good cholesterol.” It helps decrease the buildup of LDL in blood vessels.
- Triglycerides: This is a type of fat from the food we eat. Excess amounts of triglycerides in your blood are associated with cardiovascular disease and pancreatic inflammation.
Test workflow
Requesting fasting results
Please ensure patients are aware that their blood tests should be taken under ‘fasting’ conditions. This means the patient is required to not eat for 12 hours before your blood test - but they are able to drink clear water.
If you are requesting fasting cholesterol tests, please only request so ONCE
If the results are still elevated after doing the fasting blood tests, allocate results to GPs to action.
Calculating QRISK
Go to: ‘Add Consultation’ → ‘Run Template’ → search ‘QRISK2’
Please check measurements on SUMMARY page on EMIS. If patient’s weight and blood pressure measurements for calculating QRISK are more than 1 year old, please follow the below steps.
- STILL calculate QRISK2 (based on old data)
- Add a comment in consultations ‘based on current data’.
- Prompt the patient to come in to update this information. Send Accurx to patient → Blood Pressure (BP) and Weight Measurement (BMI)
- Add safety netting template to consultation. Under ‘active monitoring’ - add comment stating ‘review BP and weight’ for 4 weeks later
- Continue to follow lipid process as above based on QRISK score. If the process concludes to file the result after sending an Accurx - please file the result.
- If QRISK >10, send Accurx: QRISK >10
- If QRISK >10, review statin. Either send QRISK >10 START STATIN or QRISK >10 INCREASE STATIN Accurx.