Estimate of requirements for detection and treatment of hypercholesterolemia in U.S. Army aviators

In May 1988, the Army Surgeon General issued guidelines and a preliminary plan for evaluation and treatment of hypercholesterolemia, based on the recommendations of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel. Implementation of this plan in the aviation population would require an unknown number of aviators to undergo testing and possibly therapy for hypercholesterolemia. This study uses a mathematical model and information from the Aviation Epidemiology Data Register to estimate the number of aviators who would require detailed lipoprotein analysis and at least dietary therapy, based on evaluation of their total serum cholesterol and other coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors, as described in the expert panel report. The model predicts that at least 27% of all aviators would require LDL screening, and 24.6% of all aviators would require dietary or drug therapy.