Total cholesterol is the total amount of cholesterol in your blood. Having high total cholesterol can lead to hardening of your arteries, which increases your risk for a heart attack. This test can help you make informed decisions to keep your heart healthy.

Your total cholesterol is the sum of your low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good”) cholesterol, and is reported as the total cholesterol number.

To receive individual LDL and HDL levels please see our Lipid Panel test.

Fasting is strongly recommended, but not required for this test for 8-12 hours before your appointment. Fasting before a blood draw means you don’t eat or drink anything except water.