Screening for high blood cholesterol

The detection and treatment of high blood cholesterol will require a sizeable screening effort. To a large extent, the screening can be accomplished through routine medical care, but screenings conducted at public or community sites also offer promise. The NCEP will ultimately recommend whether or not public screening should supplement that performed in the physician's office. In the meantime, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has issued screening guidelines that address critical issues including reliability of cholesterol measurement, compliance to the education and referral advice given at screening, and physician readiness to evaluate and treat those referred. Findings from the Model System for High Blood Cholesterol Screening and other research projects provided a basis for such recommendations. It is hoped that these guidelines will ensure high quality public screening.