Resources

High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol

Message
Performed in Chemistry


Test Code
HDL


CPT Codes
83718

Preferred Specimen
Green Top LiHep, Plasma
WyMCC - SST


Other Acceptable Specimens
Gold/SST, Red Top


Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
Do not use fluride plasma
Collected in an outdated/expired tube
Hemolyzed, icteric or lipemic
Contaminated


FDA Status
FDA Approved

Setup Schedule
Daily, Sunday through Saturday


Report Available
Less than 4 hours


Clinical Significance
High density lipoproteins (HDL) are responsible for the reverse transport of cholesterol from the peripheral cells to the liver. In the liver, cholesterol is transformed to bile acids which are then excreted into the intestine via the biliary tract. Monitoring of HDL-cholesterol in serum or plasma is of clinical relevance as the HDL-cholesterol concentration is important in the assessment of atherosclerotic risk. Elevated HDL-cholesterol concentrations protect against coronary heart disease (CHD), whereas reduced HDL-cholesterol concentrations, particularly in conjunction with elevated triglycerides, increase cardiovascular risk. A variety of methods are available to determine HDL-cholesterol, including ultracentrifugation (reference method in combination with cholesterol measurement by the Abell-Kendall method), electrophoresis, HPLC, precipitation, and direct methods. Of these, the direct methods are used routinely. Roche HDLC4 is also a direct method. The automated HDLC4 assay uses detergents, cholesterol esterase (CHER), cholesterol oxidase (CHOD) and peroxidase to form a colored pigment that is measured optically. The HDLC4 assay meets the 1998 National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) goals for precision and accuracy. 




The CPT Codes provided in this document are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payor being billed. Any Profile/panel component may be ordered separately. Reflex tests are performed at an additional charge.