A cholesterol test is called a fasting lipoprotein profile, and it measures how much and what kind of cholesterol is in our blood. A fasting lipoprotein profile includes testing of total blood cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.You must make sure that you have fasted for at least 9-12 hours (or what your physician recommends) prior to the test to provide more accurate results. The test is taken by drawing a sample of blood from your arm.