IMPLICATIONS OF SERUM-CHOLESTEROL MEASUREMENT FOR THE VASCULAR SURGEON

Objective: To measure the serum total cholesterol in new patients with intermittent claudication and to assess the proportion with ischemic heart disease and untreated hypercholesterolemia. Design: A prospectiv e study with patient history corroborated by a general practitioner te lephone questionnaire. Setting: A vascular surgical center in a major teaching hospital. Subjects: Seventy-six consecutive claudicants were studied (median age, 66; range, 46 to 94; 45 men and 31 women), of who m 41 (54%) had ischemic heart disease. Results: The median serum total cholesterol concentration was 6.35 mmol/L (IQR, 5.60 to 7.05 mmol/L). Forty-nine (65%) patients had never had their serum cholesterol assay ed before this study despite 24 of them having ischemic heart disease. Conclusions: Previously undiagnosed hypercholesterolemia is commonly revealed in the vascular surgical assessment of patients with intermit tent claudication. The cardiac morbidity and mortality of these patien ts is high and surgeons should therefore be proactive in the instigati on of cholesterol-lowering therapy.