Free Fatty Acids
| Label Mnemonic: | FFA |
| Epic code: | LAB3176 |
| Downtime form: | Doctor/Provider Orders - Pathology Core and Specialty Care Nursery |
Commercial Mailout Laboratory
6240-8 RCP
356-8593
6240-8 RCP
356-8593
Specimen(s):
Serum
Specimen
Instructions:
Draw blood in a plain, red-top tube(s) following an overnight (12-14
hour) fast. Patient must not consume any alcohol for 24 hours before
the specimen is drawn.
Collection Medium:
 |
| Red top tube 5 mL (Clot Activator) |
Minimum:
1 mL serum
Delivery Instructions:
Submit specimen to laboratory as soon as possible after collection.Turn Around
Time:
1 day upon receipt at reference laboratory (not reported on Saturday or
Sunday)
Reference Range:
> or =16 years: 0.00-0.72 mmol/L
Reference values have not been established for patients that are <16 years of age.
Reference values have not been established for patients that are <16 years of age.
Interpretive Data:
Abnormally high levels of free fatty acids are associated with
uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and with conditions that involve
excessive release of a lipoactive hormone such as epinephrine,
norepinephrine, glucagon, thyrotropin, and adrenocortocotropin.
Comments:
Useful For:
Evaluation of metabolic status of persons with endocrinopathies
Detection of pheochromocytoma and of glucagon-, thyrotropin-, and adrenocorticotropin-secreting tumors
Monitoring of control of diabetes mellitus (serum-free glycerol is a very useful companion test in assessing diabetes and may be ordered by special request from Mayo Medical Laboratories). The correlation with insulin resistance and downstream cardiovascular risk may be a useful treatment aid in some patients.
Cautions:
Patient should fast for 12 to 14 hours; however, in prolonged fasting or starvation, free fatty acid levels rise as much as 3-fold.
Patient should abstain from alcohol for at least 24 hours.
In order to eliminate the generation of free fatty acids from triglycerides by serum lipases (causing erroneous elevations), serum should be frozen soon after it is drawn and shipped frozen.
Evaluation of metabolic status of persons with endocrinopathies
Detection of pheochromocytoma and of glucagon-, thyrotropin-, and adrenocorticotropin-secreting tumors
Monitoring of control of diabetes mellitus (serum-free glycerol is a very useful companion test in assessing diabetes and may be ordered by special request from Mayo Medical Laboratories). The correlation with insulin resistance and downstream cardiovascular risk may be a useful treatment aid in some patients.
Cautions:
Patient should fast for 12 to 14 hours; however, in prolonged fasting or starvation, free fatty acid levels rise as much as 3-fold.
Patient should abstain from alcohol for at least 24 hours.
In order to eliminate the generation of free fatty acids from triglycerides by serum lipases (causing erroneous elevations), serum should be frozen soon after it is drawn and shipped frozen.
Methodology:
Enzymatic Colorimetric
CPT Code:
82725