Insight into your total cholesterol.
Total cholesterol is the sum of all the cholesterol carried in your blood. This single measurement gives a first impression of your cholesterol level, with personal explanation from our doctors. For the complete picture, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides belong alongside it.
Also known as: cholesterol, cholesterol level, total cholesterol
Personal assessment by our BIG-registered doctors
How Bloodworks works
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Receive your lab form
Within 24 hours by email, with appointment planner
Schedule your blood draw
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Blood draw
Takes just a few minutes
Receive your report
Securely, typically within 2 working days from our physicians
Background
What is total cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the body and also absorbed through diet. It is needed for the construction of cell membranes and for the production of certain hormones. Because fat does not dissolve in blood, cholesterol travels inside protein particles, the lipoproteins. The best known of these are HDL ("good" cholesterol) and LDL ("bad" cholesterol).
Total cholesterol adds all of that cholesterol together, expressed in millimoles per litre (mmol/L). That makes it a convenient first impression, but it does not distinguish between the particles. Two people with the same total cholesterol can have a very different split across HDL and LDL. To assess cardiovascular risk, a doctor therefore looks at the full lipid profile, including HDL, LDL, and triglycerides, and weighs those within your personal risk profile alongside age, blood pressure, weight, smoking, and family history.
In brief
One measurement
Total cholesterol in the blood
A sum
HDL, LDL, and other carriers combined
Modifiable
Through diet, exercise, and weight
Hereditary component
Partly determined by family history
This marker is also included in
Testing several values in a single draw takes one blood collection and gives a more complete picture. The choice is yours.
Common reasons to test
When can insight into your Total cholesterol be valuable?
Below are some situations in which measuring Total cholesterol can provide insight.
Insight into your cholesterol level
A test gives a snapshot of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood.
With a family history
Cardiovascular disease at a young age in the family is an important reason to have cholesterol tested.
For prevention and monitoring
Many people have their cholesterol measured periodically as part of preventive health monitoring.
Tracking the effect of lifestyle changes
Those who have worked on their diet, physical activity, or weight can see after a few months what effect this has had on their cholesterol level.
In middle age
From the age of 40 to 50, cholesterol is more commonly measured periodically as part of cardiovascular risk management.
Alongside HDL, LDL, and triglycerides
Total cholesterol only takes on real meaning next to the other lipids. Many people therefore choose the full cholesterol profile.
What your result means
Cholesterol too high or too low: what does your result mean?
Total cholesterol is measured in millimoles per litre (mmol/L). The laboratory supplies the reference ranges with your result. Our doctor weighs your value within your overall risk profile, as cholesterol is one of several factors that together determine cardiovascular risk.
A low value
A low total cholesterol is generally regarded as favourable for cardiovascular risk based on lipids. It says nothing about your other risk factors, such as blood pressure, weight, smoking, and blood sugar. In a few cases a strikingly low value can be linked to another cause, for example an overactive thyroid or a liver condition. Our doctor provides explanation and context.
A value within the reference ranges
A total cholesterol within the laboratory reference ranges gives a reassuring picture for this single marker. Bear in mind that it is a sum: a favourable total can conceal an unfavourable ratio between LDL and HDL. If you want to see that distinction, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides are needed.
An elevated value
An elevated total cholesterol can be linked to a diet high in saturated fat, excess weight, little physical activity, an underactive thyroid, or a hereditary predisposition such as familial hypercholesterolaemia. A single measurement is not a diagnosis, and without HDL and LDL it is not visible where the elevation comes from. Our doctor explains your value and advises when further testing or a conversation with your GP is customary.
How we interpret your result
Our doctors interpret your total cholesterol against the laboratory reference ranges and your personal context, such as age, lifestyle, medication use, family history, and any known conditions.
Related tests
Often combined with Total cholesterol.
A single marker gives one perspective. For a broader picture you can combine Total cholesterol with a theme package or related markers.
+ €29 blood draw fee per orderFree from €225
Frequently asked questions
Everything you want to know
What is the difference between this test and the Cholesterol Panel package?
On this page you order one value: total cholesterol. The Cholesterol Panel package contains four values, namely total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides, for €69. Ordering those four separately costs €100, so for the complete picture the package is better value.
Do I need to fast for a cholesterol test?
For total cholesterol on its own, fasting is less critical than it is for triglycerides. We still advise fasting for 9 to 12 hours and drinking only water during that period. That keeps your values comparable with each other and over time, also if you later have the full profile measured.
What exactly does total cholesterol tell me?
Total cholesterol is the sum of all the cholesterol in your blood, spread across different particles. It gives a first impression of your cholesterol level, but it does not show how that sum is made up.
Is total cholesterol enough on its own?
For a first impression it can be. For a risk assessment a doctor looks at the composition: a favourable total can conceal a high LDL alongside a high HDL, and the other way around. If you want that distinction, choose the full cholesterol profile or add HDL, LDL, and triglycerides separately.
What is the difference between HDL and LDL?
HDL ("high density lipoprotein") is often called "good" cholesterol because it transports cholesterol from the blood back to the liver. LDL ("low density lipoprotein") is called "bad" cholesterol because an elevated LDL is associated with vascular problems. Both are contained in your total cholesterol, but they only become visible when measured separately.
What does the cholesterol ratio mean?
The cholesterol ratio is the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL. A lower ratio is more favourable. Calculating it therefore requires an HDL measurement alongside total cholesterol.
What influences my cholesterol level?
Saturated fats and trans fats in the diet can raise cholesterol. Unsaturated fats, fibre, exercise, and weight loss are associated with more favourable values. Heredity, thyroid function, and medication use also play a role.
How quickly does my cholesterol change with lifestyle?
A clear change in diet, exercise, or weight can have a measurable effect within 6 to 12 weeks. Retesting after 3 to 6 months generally gives a good picture.
What do I do with my result?
You will receive a PDF report with your value and a doctor's explanation. What you do with it, such as discussing it with your GP, adjusting your lifestyle, or taking no action, remains entirely your choice.
Can I share my report with my GP?
Yes, the report is written in medical language and contains all relevant laboratory information.
In the Health Guide
Read more about this value
Ready for insight into your total cholesterol?
You receive your total cholesterol including personal explanation from a doctor, typically within 2 working days. No referral required.
Order Total cholesterol →Want to test multiple markers at once?
Combine Total cholesterol with other markers via Bloodworks Select. The blood draw and collection fee is charged once per order, and is waived from €225.
25,-
+ €29 blood draw fee+ €29 blood draw fee per order