Advanced Cholesterol Profile

GENERAL

The concept of "good" and "bad" cholesterol depends highly on the circumstances of the individual person. Although very high blood serum cholesterol values are associated with heart disease, low values are associated with increased violent behavior, suicide, depression, anxiety, bipolar disease, Parkinson's disease, and increased mortality from cancer.

Cholesterol serves several important roles in metabolism: It is a key constituent of all cell membranes and provides the structural framework for vitamin D, adrenal and sex hormones, and brain myelin, as well as for bile acids which help digest fat and increase absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Most cholesterol is made in the liver and can be synthesized from either fatty acids or glucose. Cholesterol synthesized in the brain is the primary component of the myelin that surrounds each nerve cell as a protective sheath. Loss of myelin inevitably causes neurological damage. Both neurons and glial (support) cells in the central nervous system (CNS) require sufficient amounts of unbound cholesterol as an integral part of their cell membranes. Cholesterol is also essential for the activation of the developmental protein, “Sonic Hedgehog”, which plays a role in cell growth and the shaping of the body in utero, especially the brain and central nervous system

The Advanced Cholesterol Profile to detect if a cholesterol deficiency is present or if levels are elevated. This profile also determines risk factors for vascular disease and/or neurological disease. The Advanced Cholesterol Panel includes the following markers: Total cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-1, apolipoprotein B, Lipoprotein (a), and homocysteine. Lipoproteins are involved in cholesterol, lipid, and vitamin E transport. Each of these markers, indicated in high or low levels, has been associated with a variety of genetic diseases of cholesterol metabolism including SLOS (Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome is an inborn error of cholesterol synthesis), Tangier’s disease (is an extremely rare inherited disorder characterized by a severe reduction in the amount of high density lipoprotein, often referred to as "good cholesterol"), and abetalipoproteinemia (is a disorder that interferes with the normal absorption of fat and fat-soluble vitamins from food).

Disorders Associated with Low Cholesterol

• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Crohn’s Disease
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Autism
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Hyperthyroidism
• Liver Disease
• Celiac Disease
• Bipolar Disease
• Alcoholism
• Lung Cancer
• Suicide
• Obesity Associated with Human Adenovirus-36 Infection

RECOMMENDATIONS

Depending on test results, follow-up may include:

• Dietary modification
• Supplementation
• Follow-up/Confirmational testing

SPECIMEN REQUIREMENTS

Serum: 4 mL of serum in 2 gold-topped SST or in 2 royal blue-topped no additive tubes

CPT CODES

• 82172*2
• 82465
• 83090
• 83695
• 83718