On your lab requisition: Quest “Lipoprotein Fractionation, NMR” (test code 37847)Labcorp “NMR LipoProfile+Lipids+IR+Gph” (test no. 123638)
The short answer
Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR) measures Total Cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C plus 6 more from a standard blood draw. At TestWell it costs $70.99 plus a $6 lab processing fee, requires an 8–12 hour fast, and results post in 3–5 business days. Physician-authorized with no doctor's visit or insurance needed; draw at Labcorp.
Hospital Lab
$400
cash pay
Other Labs
$150
+ lab fees
TestWell
$70.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
The NMR LipoProfile uses nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to directly measure LDL particle number, size, and other advanced lipoprotein metrics that standard lipid panels cannot detect. It includes a complete lipid panel plus LDL-P (particle number), small LDL-P, LDL size, HDL-P, and LP-IR score (insulin resistance marker). This is the gold standard for cardiovascular lipid assessment.
Nuclear magnetic resonance lipoprotein particle analysis — counts the actual number and size of LDL, HDL, and VLDL particles rather than estimating cholesterol mass.
Anyone with normal cholesterol but family history of heart disease, metabolic syndrome / insulin resistance evaluation, anyone whose risk doesn't match their standard lipid panel, longevity protocols.
Sample Type
Blood draw
Fasting
Required
Results In
3–5 business days
Performed At
Labcorp
9 biomarkers tested · 7 measured, 2 calculated from them
Your Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR) results will include values for each of the 9 biomarkers tested, along with reference ranges. Results are reviewed by a licensed physician before being released to your secure portal.
If any values fall outside the normal range, your report will include guidance on what that may mean and recommended next steps. You'll receive an email notification when your results are ready, typically within 3–5 business days.
Typical reference range layout
Lab reports show where your value sits relative to established reference intervals—your physician interprets this in context for you. Already have results? Analyze them with your AI assistant against our physician-reviewed ranges.
Fasting for 12 hours recommended. Water is okay.
What can throw off this result
Physician-reviewed “Before your test” pages — what each factor does, for how long, and what to do about it.
An Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR) costs $70.99 at TestWell — $76.99 all-in when ordered alone, because the $6 lab processing fee is charged once per order, with no draw fee or physician fee added. Ordered directly from the labs' own consumer sites, the same test lists at $119.00 at Labcorp OnDemand (list prices checked Sep 12, 2026). Hospital outpatient labs typically bill around $400.00 self-pay for the same test, and often more. With insurance, what you pay depends on your deductible and your plan's negotiated rate; TestWell's price is fixed before the draw and is HSA/FSA-eligible.
| Where you order | Price | One test, all-in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TestWell (drawn at Labcorp) | $70.99 | $76.99 | Includes the one $6 lab processing fee, charged once per order |
| Labcorp OnDemand (Labcorp's own site) | $119.00 | $119.00 | list price checked Sep 12, 2026 |
| Hospital outpatient lab, self-pay (typical) | $400.00 | $400.00 | Reference figure; hospital charges vary widely by facility and are often higher |
35% less than the lower lab-direct list price, for the same draw at the same lab. Lab test codes: Quest test code 37847 · Labcorp test no. 123638. Competitor prices are read from the linked public pages and re-checked regularly; the labs' sites may add taxes or change prices without notice.
Compare more: Quest Diagnostics price list · Labcorp price list · Quest vs Labcorp · Lab test price checker
Particle counts — LDL particle number (LDL-P), small dense LDL, HDL particle number, VLDL particles, and a calculated insulin-resistance marker (LP-IR). Standard lipid panels measure the cholesterol carried by these particles; NMR counts the particles themselves, which is a more accurate cardiovascular risk marker.
Both count atherogenic particles, but via different methods. ApoB is a single immunoassay; NMR uses magnetic resonance to count and size all lipoprotein subclasses plus generate an insulin-resistance score. NMR gives more detail; ApoB is cheaper and just as good for routine risk stratification.
Below 1000 nmol/L is low risk. 1000-1299 is borderline. 1300-1599 is high risk. Above 1600 nmol/L is very high. Small-dense LDL above 300 nmol/L specifically suggests insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
On TestWell, NMR Lipoprofile is $70.99. Quest Direct lists the same test at $150, walk-in hospital labs and specialty cardiology offices typically bill $300-400 without insurance.
Yes — 9-12 hour fast (water only). Recent meals dramatically alter VLDL particle counts and can skew the entire profile.
For most people, Lipid Panel + ApoB at ~$56 total gives you 95% of the information at half the cost of NMR. Order NMR when you specifically want particle-size breakdown (e.g., investigating small-dense LDL on a low-carb diet) or the LP-IR insulin-resistance score.
Ordered directly, an Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR) lists at $119.00 at Labcorp OnDemand (prices checked September 2026). TestWell orders the same test at the same Labcorp patient service centers for $70.99 — $76.99 all-in with the $6 per-order lab processing fee — paid out of pocket at checkout with no insurance, doctor's visit or draw fee; HSA and FSA cards are accepted.
Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR) results are typically ready in 3–5 business days after your draw at Labcorp. TestWell emails you the moment they post, and your results dashboard shows each marker against its reference range with a plain-English explanation.
Eating before the draw, alcohol, caffeine and smoking and nicotine can change an Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR) result without anything being wrong. Eating before the draw can raise Triglycerides — fast 8–12 hours; no alcohol the evening before. Alcohol can raise Triglycerides — no alcohol for 24–72 hours before a lipid panel. Caffeine can raise Triglycerides — skip coffee before a lipid panel if a strict fast was requested. Smoking and nicotine can raise Triglycerides — recheck after quitting. Each factor is covered on our physician-reviewed "Before your test" pages; when one applies, the fix is usually to remove it and retest.
Order the Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR) online from TestWell for $70.99 (plus a $6 per-order lab processing fee) — no doctor's visit, referral or insurance needed. A licensed physician authorizes the order, then you walk into any Labcorp patient service center near you for the draw (the lab locator on our site lists the closest ones by ZIP code), and results arrive in 3–5 business days.
The CPT code for an Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR) is 83704. You can order it from TestWell for $70.99 — no doctor's visit or insurance required, with results in 3–5 business days.
The Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR) is Quest Diagnostics test code 37847 ("Lipoprotein Fractionation, NMR"), Labcorp test number 123638 ("NMR LipoProfile+Lipids+IR+Gph") (CPT 83704). TestWell orders it under those codes for $70.99 at Quest or Labcorp — no doctor's visit or insurance required, results in 3–5 business days. Codes verified against the labs' catalogs in 2026.
Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD · Last reviewed September 2026
TestWell Price
$70.99
+ $6 lab processing fee at checkout
No insurance needed · HIPAA compliant
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Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR)
$70.99