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

This pilot study explores the feasibility of large-scale non-fasting triglyceride level screening at blood donation centers. Hypertriglyceridemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and acute pancreatitis. Triglyceride levels were measured in 10,176 blood donors at Carter BloodCare North Texas and found 39.2% with moderate and 2.4% with severe hypertriglyceridemia. Predictors of elevated triglycerides included age, male gender, blood pressure, and body mass index, with increased odds in Hispanic and Asian individuals compared to White individuals. Survey results from 50 donors with severe hypertriglyceridemia showed 69% had positive intent to seek medical care. The study highlights the potential of blood donation centers to serve as platforms for public health screening, and scaling low-cost, non-fasting triglyceride screening is feasible. This approach provides an opportunity for early intervention and disease prevention.