Clinicians use total cholesterol to screen for cholesterol problems and estimate long-term heart risk. It is often part of a lipid panel to guide lifestyle steps and treatment choices. People with a family history, diabetes, high blood pressure, or prior heart events benefit from regular checks. You can test this marker with Aniva across Germany and Finland.

Clinicians use total cholesterol to screen for cholesterol problems and estimate long-term heart risk. It is often part of a lipid panel to guide lifestyle steps and treatment choices. People with a family history, diabetes, high blood pressure, or prior heart events benefit from regular checks. You can test this marker with Aniva across Germany and Finland.

High: May suggest higher lifetime heart risk. Look at LDL, non-HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and triglycerides for a fuller picture. Simple steps—balanced eating, regular activity, and not smoking—can help; discuss next steps with your clinician.
Low: Less common; can be linked to poor intake, overactive thyroid, severe illness, or certain medicines. Interpret with symptoms and other labs. Trends over time and whether the sample was fasting or not add useful context.

• LDL Cholesterol
• HDL Cholesterol
• Triglycerides
• Non-HDL Cholesterol
• Apolipoprotein B
• Lipoprotein(a)
• hs-CRP

Common factors that can affect results include a large fatty meal, alcohol within 24 hours, strenuous exercise, dehydration, and recent illness. Many medicines and supplements can change cholesterol, including statins, steroids, isotretinoin, diuretics, and niacin. Pregnancy often raises cholesterol; values usually return to baseline after delivery. Try to keep your usual diet for about a week before testing.

Special situations: repeat or adjust timing if tested soon after a heart attack, major surgery, serious infection, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or when starting/changing lipid‑altering medicines.