Frequency of Testing

• Adults should have their cholesterol tested once every five years. On the other hand, people with certain significant health factors should screen their cholesterol levels more often. Such high-risk populations include those with elevated cholesterol or blood pressure levels, smokers, older men and women, diabetes sufferers and people with a family history of heart disease.
  
  

Method

• Your doctor will advise you to fast between nine and 12 hours before the test. According to the EMedicine Health website, a technician uses a syringe to draw blood from a vein in your arm and deposits the blood into a small vial. A lancet is a more appropriate tool for puncturing the skin of younger children while either a pipette suctions or a slide collects the sample of blood for laboratory examination.
  
  

Results and Interpretation

• A desirable result consists of a total cholesterol reading of less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). A high cholesterol reading is 240 mg/dL or higher. Generally, any value over 200 mg/dL indicates an increased risk for heart disease.
  
  

Risks and Considerations

• Blood cholesterol tests generally carry very little risk; however, complications such as excessive bleeding, lightheadedness and infection occasionally ensue. Certain conditions including arthritis may skew results, according to the New York Times Health Guide. In women, pregnancy and removal of the ovaries may raise cholesterol readings.