By Blua | Digital health by Bupa
4 minute read
Published 17 June 2026
Living with diabetes increases your risk of developing some serious health conditions, such as heart and kidney disease and stroke.
Monitoring and managing health indicators, such as cholesterol, can help keep you healthy.
High blood sugar levels caused by diabetes can, over time, damage blood vessels and increase fatty deposits. As these deposits build up, they can clog and block arteries, causing heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, often called "bad cholesterol," has the same impact. Excess LDL cholesterol attaches to the walls of arteries, forming hard plaque that clogs and blocks them.
People with harmful levels of LDL cholesterol are twice as likely to have heart disease.2 People living with diabetes are also twice as likely to have heart disease.1
Monitoring cholesterol is an important part of managing diabetes.
Cholesterol levels are measured with a blood test known as a lipid test or lipid panel.3
The test measures cholesterol and other fats in your blood.
The test produces results including:
While HDL cholesterol, often called good cholesterol, helps remove excess cholesterol from the body, high levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides increase the risk of heart disease.
The test is a routine blood test and is usually performed at a pathology centre or healthcare clinic. You need a referral from your GP.
You may need to fast for up to 12 hours before your cholesterol test, meaning you cannot eat or drink anything other than water. Your doctor will let you know if you need to fast and for how long.
If you live with diabetes, it’s important to monitor your cholesterol levels regularly.
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes: At least once every 12 months or as directed by your doctor.4
Gestational diabetes: Testing during pregnancy is generally not advised as cholesterol and triglyceride levels rise naturally during that time. Testing may be done after pregnancy to ensure levels have normalised.5
Prediabetes: As directed by your doctor.
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Our health and wellbeing information is regularly reviewed and maintained by a team of healthcare experts, to ensure its relevancy and accuracy. Everyone's health journey is unique and health outcomes vary from person to person.
This content is not a replacement for personalised and specific medical, healthcare, or other professional advice. If you have concerns about your health, see your doctor or other health professional.
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1 Heart Foundation. (2024). Diabetes and heart disease.
2 Harvard Health Publishing. (2024). The latest thinking on inherited high cholesterol.
3 Health Direct. (2025). Cholesterol and lipids test.
4 NDSS. (n.d.). Diabetes health checks and why they matter.
5 Heart UK. (2026). Pregnancy and blood fats.
