Cholesterol Measurement: Test Accuracy and Factors That Influence
Cholesterol Levels (Chapter Report, 12/30/94, GAO/PEMD-95-8).

Knowing the amount of cholesterol in the blood is important to good
health, but GAO found that it was hard to learn the correct level from a
single test.  Given the wide range of instruments used to test
cholesterol and day-to-day variations in diet, exercise, and illness,
GAO believes that persons should consider being tested several times to
determine cholesterol levels.  Doctors and patients need to be aware of
fluctuations in cholesterol measurements and that any decision to
classify and treat a patient should be based on the average of multiple
measurements and an assessment of other risk factors.  GAO summarized
this report in testimony before Congress; see: Cholesterol Measurement:
Variability in Methods and Test Results, by Kwai-Cheung Chan, Director
of Program Evaluation in Physical Systems Areas, before the Subcommittee
on Technology, House Committee on Science.  GAO/T-PEMD-95-17, Feb. 14,
1995 (15 pages).

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  PEMD-95-8
     TITLE:  Cholesterol Measurement: Test Accuracy and Factors That 
             Influence Cholesterol Levels
      DATE:  12/30/94
   SUBJECT:  Health care services
             Testing
             Laboratories
             Medical equipment
             Biomedical research
             Cardiovascular diseases
             Nutrition research
             Disease detection or diagnosis
             Quality control
IDENTIFIER:  NHLBI National Cholesterol Education Program
             NIH Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial
             National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
             HANES
             
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