Cholesterol test

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Risks

By Mayo Clinic staff

There's little risk in getting a cholesterol test. You may have some soreness or tenderness around the site where your blood is drawn. Rarely, the site may become infected.

How you prepare Why it's done
References
  1. Executive summary.  Third report of the expert panel on the detection, evaluation and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (adult treatment panel III). Bethesda, Md.: National Heart, Lung, and blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol. Accessed Nov. 6, 2012.
  2. What is cholesterol? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbc/. Accessed Nov. 8, 2012.
  3. What are blood tests? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/bdt/. Accessed Nov. 8, 2012.
  4. What your cholesterol levels mean. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/What-Your-Cholesterol-Levels-Mean_UCM_305562_Article.jsp. Accessed Nov. 8, 2012.
  5. Ask Mayo Expert. Screening recommendations for asymptomatic men. Rochester, Minn. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 2010.
  6. Cholesterol. American Association for Clinical Chemistry. http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cholesterol/test.html. Accessed Nov. 6, 2012.
  7. Expert panel on integrated guidelines for cardiovascular health and risk reduction in children and adolescents: Summary report. Pediatrics. 2011;128:S213.
  8. Women and cholesterol. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/UnderstandYourRiskforHighCholesterol/Women-and-Cholesterol_UCM_305565_Article.jsp. Accessed Nov. 8, 2012.
  9. Behrenbeck T (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 3, 2012.
MY00500 Jan. 25, 2013

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