OBJECTIVE: Regular testing of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) is important for effective lipid management.  Our objective was to examine frequency of lipid testing and to assess predictors of lipid testing frequency in UK patients newly initiated on statins over a one year period.  METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study performed using the UK General Practice Research Database.  Patients aged ≥35 years were included if they received their first ever statin between Jan-2000 and Dec-2004 and had at least one TC, HDL-C or TG test conducted in the one year period before statin initiation.  Lipid tests performed after statin initiation were counted until the earliest of either one year follow-up or statin discontinuation date plus 30 days.  Poisson regression was used to assess pre-initiation factors associated with testing frequency for each lipid following statin initiation.  RESULTS: 57,296 patients received at least one TC, HDL-C or TG at baseline and had one year of follow-up after statin initiation.  On average, patients received 1.3 ± 1.0 TC tests. However, 22.7% patients did not receive a single TC test after starting on statins.  The mean number of tests per patient for HDL-C and TG was 0.9 ± 1.0 but 44.3% and 39.1% of patients did not receive a single HDL-C and TG test, respectively.  In the multivariate analysis, high cardiovascular risk [OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01–1.07] and baseline TC ≥6.2 mmol/L [OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.06–1.18, compared with TC < 5.0 mmol/L] were associated with TC testing frequency.  CONCLUSION: Higher cardiovascular risk and higher baseline TC were associated with TC testing within the first year following statin initiation. Lack of TC testing in approximately 2 in 10 UK patients during that period and infrequent HDL-C and TG testing may prove as barriers towards effective lipid management.