Cholesterol test

Alternative names:

total cholesterol

Normal values:

• 140 to 310 mg/dl
• optimal values: 140-220 mg/dl

Note: mg/dl = milligrams per deciliter

Normal values tend to increase with age, and premenopausal women have somewhat lower levels than men of the same age.

What abnormal results mean:

Increased levels may indicate:

• atherosclerosis
• biliary cirrhosis
• familial hyperlipidemias
• high-cholesterol diet
• hypothyroidism
• myocardial infarction
• nephrotic syndrome
• uncontrolled diabetes

Decreased levels may indicate:

• hyperthyroidism
• liver disease
• malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract)
• malnutrition
• pernicious anemia
• sepsis

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

• arteriosclerosis of the extremities
• familial dysbetalipoproteinemia
• familial hypercholesterolemia
• hypothyroidism; primary
• hypothyroidism; secondary
• noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)
• primary biliary cirrhosis