Copper and ceruloplasmin test

What this test is

Copper is a mineral your body needs in small amounts. It helps your nerves, blood cells, and connective tissue. True copper deficiency is rare. It can happen with certain gut problems or weight-loss surgery. It can also happen with intravenous nutrition. Long-term, high-dose zinc pills are another cause, since too much zinc can lower copper. Testing also has a role in a rare inherited condition called Wilson disease. In Wilson disease, copper builds up in the body instead. This is never checked with just one test. Doctors always use more than one test together. If you have no gut problem, no surgery history, and no high-dose zinc use, you usually do not need this test at a general check-up.