Desmosterol is a C27 sterol and a defined intermediate in the Bloch pathway of cholesterol biosynthesis. Biochemically, the enzyme 24-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR24) converts desmosterol into cholesterol; blood levels therefore reflect flux through endogenous synthesis pathways. Clinically, desmosterol has been studied as a marker of hepatic and whole-body cholesterol production and as a component of sterol panels used to profile lipid handling. Historically, sterol intermediates like desmosterol became useful as metabolic markers when analytic methods (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and later LC-MS) allowed reliable measurement in blood. Today desmosterol is interpreted alongside other sterols, lipoprotein measures, and genetic data to provide a mechanistic view of lipid physiology rather than a single numeric risk score.

Elevated desmosterol may indicate increased endogenous cholesterol synthesis, reduced activity of the converting enzyme (DHCR24), or shifts in hepatic sterol handling; it can also rise with certain metabolic states, genetic variants, or medication effects. Low desmosterol levels may reflect lower synthesis rate, efficient conversion to cholesterol, or relatively greater reliance on dietary/intestinal cholesterol absorption. Interpretation depends on the full Cardio Zoomer profile—compare desmosterol with other synthesis markers (e.g., lathosterol), absorption markers (e.g., plant sterols), and lipoprotein metrics to understand the underlying pattern.

Cardio Zoomer includes desmosterol to evaluate endogenous cholesterol production as part of a broader sterol and lipoprotein panel. It helps distinguish synthesis-driven versus absorption-driven lipid patterns and, together with genetic and inflammatory markers, supports more precise assessment of metabolic drivers that influence cardiovascular risk.