Determination of cholesterol in blood. Part 1

Abstract

The chronological development of procedures for determining the concentration of cholesterol in plasma, serum, and whole blood is presented in the review. It is stated that, since the correlation between the risk of development of cardiovascular diseases and the concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in human blood was established by numerous medical studies, the procedures for the measurement of these parameters have been developed most actively. A brief overview of these procedures and the results of their comparative tests in medical examination of patients are given. The classifications of the procedures for determining total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in blood are also proposed. The mechanism of action of the chemical reactions taking place in these procedures, the advantages and disadvantages, and the priority field of their application are considered. The promising directions of development and improvement of procedures are mentioned, ensuring more accurate measurements of the concentration of cholesterol in blood, and alternative ways of determining the risk of cardiovascular disease are discussed.