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Description

The clinical test for cholesterol is typically acquired from a patient's serum. The serum is obtained by drawing a sample of blood from the patient's arm. The sample is then centrifuged to separate the serum from the other components of the blood. The serum is then tested for cholesterol using a colorimetric test. This test measures the amount of cholesterol in the serum by measuring the amount of a dye that binds to the cholesterol molecules. The amount of dye that binds to the cholesterol molecules is then compared to a standard to determine the amount of cholesterol in the serum.

Synonyms

• total cholesterol

Other Sample Sources for This Test

• cerebrospinal fluid
• feces
• liver biopsy
• pericardial fluid
• peritoneal fluid
• plasma
• platelet
• pleural fluid
• red blood cells
• urine

Some Diseases Associated with an Abnormal Cholesterol

• benign hypertension
• infectious or parasitic disease
• diabetes mellitus
• mental retardation
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• malignant neoplasm
• injury
• normal pregnancy
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• ischemic heart disease
• celiac disease
• major depressive disorder
• malignant female breast neoplasm
• infectious mononucleosis
• anemia
• hypothyroidism
• pneumonia
• obesity
• congestive heart failure
• bacterial pneumonia
• acute stress reaction
• benign prostatic hypertrophy
• iron deficiency anemia
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus
• peripheral vascular disease
• menopause
• chronic kidney disease
• autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia
• biliary disorder
• chronic-disease anemia
• stroke
• nonmedicinal toxicity
• AIDS
• gout
• diffuse connective tissue disease
• acute renal failure

Detailed Laboratory Testing Information (use the custom search buttons below to find details on these topics)

All of the following must be considered when interpreting clinical findings and are too extensive to be covered on this site: