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Test Code HDL High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol

Specimen and Container/Tube

Specimen Type: Plasma

Preferred Specimen: Li-Heparin Mint Green Top

Other Acceptable specimens: Serum/Gold Top, Serum/Red Top

Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions

UCMC Onsite Instructions: 

Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. 

 

UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions: 

  • Samples should be centrifuged within 2 hours of collection.
  • Centrifuge specimens at >2500 x g for 10 minutes at room temperature.
  • Aliquot sample into plastic transport tube containing a minimum of 0.2 mL of specimen.
  • Samples must be sent room temperature at 15-25oC.

Rejection Criteria

  • Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits. 
  • Specimens that are clotted or grossly hemolyzed.
  • Specimens that were transported unspun/whole blood and draw time is greater than 6 hours.

Reference Values

Serum cholesterol levels are dependent on age and sex; reference ranges stated above are for a general adult population. The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines (Arch Intern Med 1988; 148; 36-69) are listed below and have become more overly accepted in recent years than established reference ranges for identification and treatment of patients with hyperlipemias. These guidelines are not based on age or sex and should be considered in conjunction with other factors in the assessment of risk for coronary heart disease.

HDL Interpretation

Reference Range
Low HDL <40 mg/dL
Optimal HDL >59 mg/dL

Critical Values

Analyte

Unit

Low

High

Age

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CPT Codes

83718

LOINC Codes

2085-9

Volume

Preferred Volume: 0.5 mL

Minimum Volume: 0.2 mL

Specimen Stability

Storage Temperature

Stability

Room temperature

 72 hours

Refrigerated

7 days

Frozen (-15 to -25°C)

Frozen (-70°C)

3 months

24 months

Collection Instructions

Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures. 

 

Test Components

Complement Factor C4
 

Clinical Indications

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Excess cholesterol is actively pumped into HDL to be carried in the blood circulation and cleared by the liver in a process known as reverse cholesterol transport. For these reasons, HDL-C is often referred to as "good" cholesterol.

 

 

Methodology

Enzymatic Colorimetric (Roche Diagnostics)

Additional Information

  • HDL-C is rarely measured in isolation and most often ordered along with total cholesterol and triglycerides. Measuring HDL-C and total cholesterol enables calculation of non-HDL cholesterol (total cholesterol-HDL-C). Non-HDL cholesterol is the combination of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol  and very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Non-HDL cholesterol is directly associated with risk for cardiovascular disease and referred to as "bad" cholesterol.

Turnaround Time

Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory. 

 

STAT Turnaround Time: Not available as STAT test

Routine Turnaround Time: 4 hours

Testing Schedule: 24/7

Synonyms/Keyword Search

Cholesterol, HDL (High Density Lipoprotein)

HDL Direct

High Density Lipoprotein, Cholesterol

HDL (High Density Lipoprotein), Cholesterol

HDL Cholesterol

Last Review Date

07/02/2024

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