Non-fasting triglyceride screening in volunteer blood donors: A pilot program

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Cardiovascular Health
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Hypertriglyceridemia is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and acute pancreatitis.
• Early detection of elevated triglyceride levels is crucial for timely intervention and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of large-scale, non-fasting triglyceride level screening at blood donation centers.
• To identify prevalence and predictors of hypertriglyceridemia in a blood donor population.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 10,176 blood donors at Carter BloodCare North Texas.
• Measurement of non-fasting triglyceride levels and analysis of demographic and clinical predictors.
• A survey of donors with severe hypertriglyceridemia to assess intent to seek medical care.

Main Results:

• 39.2% of donors had moderate and 2.4% had severe hypertriglyceridemia.
• Predictors included age, male gender, blood pressure, body mass index, and ethnicity (Hispanic and Asian individuals showed increased odds).
• 69% of donors with severe hypertriglyceridemia expressed intent to seek medical care.

Conclusions:

• Blood donation centers are viable platforms for public health screening initiatives.
• Scaling low-cost, non-fasting triglyceride screening is feasible and offers opportunities for early disease detection and prevention.