{"id":"total-cholesterol","name":"Total Cholesterol","shortName":"Total Cholesterol","aliases":["Cholesterol","Cholesterol, Total","CHOL","TC","Serum Cholesterol","Total Chol","Colesterol total","Cholesterin gesamt","Cholesterol, Total, Serum","Cholesterol, Serum or Plasma","Total Cholesterol, Serum","Cholesterol Total","Total Cholesterol (TC)","Cholesterol, Total, S","Total-C","T. Chol","Gesamtcholesterin","Cholestérol total","Colesterolo totale"],"abbreviations":["TC","CHOL","TChol","Total-C"],"loinc":[{"code":"2093-3","primary":true},{"code":"14647-2","primary":false},{"code":"35200-5","primary":false}],"specimen":"serum-or-plasma","units":[{"ucum":"mg/dL","display":"mg/dL"},{"ucum":"mmol/L","display":"mmol/L"},{"ucum":"g/L","display":"g/L"}],"referenceRanges":[{"population":"20+","low":null,"high":199,"unit":"mg/dL","unitDisplay":"mg/dL","note":"The 'desirable' level: below 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L). Mayo, Quest, ARUP and the NCEP ATP III guideline all use this cutoff, and Labcorp prints it as 100-199 mg/dL. Labs start the adult range at age 18 (Mayo) or 20 (Quest, Labcorp). It is a risk-based cutoff, not the central 95% of a healthy population. 200-239 mg/dL is called borderline high and 240 mg/dL or more is called high. A European consensus suggested flagging total cholesterol at 5 mmol/L (about 190 mg/dL) and above.","sources":[{"title":"Lipid Panel, Serum (test ID LPSC1)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/LPSC1","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Extended Catalog copy)","year":2026},{"title":"Lipid Panel with Ratios, Quest Diagnostics (reference ranges as listed by Fullscript)","url":"https://us.fullscript.com/labs/quest/lipid-panel-with-ratios","publisher":"Quest Diagnostics (via Fullscript)"},{"title":"Cholesterol, Total (test 001065)","url":"https://www.labcorp.com/tests/001065/cholesterol-total","publisher":"Labcorp"},{"title":"Cholesterol, Serum or Plasma (test 0020031)","url":"https://ltd.aruplab.com/Tests/Pub/0020031","publisher":"ARUP Laboratories"},{"title":"Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III): Executive Summary","url":"https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/guidelines/atp3xsum.pdf","publisher":"NHLBI / National Institutes of Health","year":2001},{"title":"Cholesterol Levels: MedlinePlus Medical Test","url":"https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/cholesterol-levels/","publisher":"MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)"},{"title":"Total cholesterol: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia","url":"https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007813.htm","publisher":"MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)"},{"title":"Fasting is not routinely required for determination of a lipid profile: clinical and laboratory implications including flagging at desirable concentration cutpoints. A joint consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society and European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4929379/","publisher":"European Heart Journal (joint EAS/EFLM statement, also in Clinical Chemistry)","year":2016}]}],"review":{"status":"ai-verified","label":"AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert review","lastReviewed":"2026-10-03"},"summary":"The total amount of cholesterol in your blood, counting HDL, LDL and VLDL together. It is one piece of the lipid panel.","url":"https://bloodtesttracker.com/markers/total-cholesterol","notice":"Information, not medical advice. Ranges differ between labs, so the range on your own report is the one your result is judged against."}