REPRODUCIBILITY OF FASTING SERUM-CHOLESTE ROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES IN OUTPATIENTS WITH COMBINED HYPERLIPIDEMIA

Intraindividual variability of serum lipid concentrations in normal vo lunteers and in patients with hyperlipidemia is substantial. The aim o f this study was to investigate prospectively the reproducibility of f asting serum triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations in prim ary health care patients with combined hyperlipidemia, i.e. under cond itions of daily medical practice. Secondary forms of hyperlipidemia we re excluded. 19 general medical outpatients with primary combined hype rlipidemia were studied. Serum total cholesterol and triglyceride conc entrations were measured after an overnight fast at 08.00 h 4 times at weekly intervals. To study the influence of alcohol intake on serum l ipid concentrations, total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured without alcohol influence and 12 hours after consumption of a mean of 100 g alcohol in the evening. In 19 patients (10 males, 9 females, me an age 55 years, body mass index 27.9 +/- 4.4 kg/m(2)), mean +/- SD of serum triglycerides was 3.97 +/- 1.8 mmol/l and of total cholesterol 7.9 +/- 1.8 mmol/l. The combined intraindividual and interassay coeffi cient of variation was 18.7 +/- 8.2% for triglycerides and 5.1 +/- 2.5 % for total cholesterol. Pasting serum triglycerides (3.5 +/- 1.1 vs. 3.7 +/- 1.4 mmol/l) and total cholesterol (7.6 +/- 1.4 vs. 7.8 +/- 1.0 mmol/l) did not significantly change 12 hours after acute alcohol con sumption. Patients with primary combined hyperlipidemia in a primary h ealth care setting show small intraindividual variations of overnight fasted serum triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations. Modera te alcohol consumption 12 hours before blood sampling does not signifi cantly affect triglyceride and cholesterol values.