title: Measurement of capillary cholesterol as an aid to the management of hypertensive patients with hyperlipidaemia--an assessment of the Reflotron.
abstract: The Reflotron dry chemistry method of capillary cholesterol measurement has been widely adopted as a rapid means of population screening. We attempted to use it to monitor changes in cholesterol in a trial of intensive dietary intervention in hyperlipidaemic hypertensives. Four hundred and eighty-nine capillary cholesterol levels measured by the Reflotron were compared with levels for venous samples obtained simultaneously and assayed by the Biochemistry Department using conventional laboratory methods. The mean difference between them was 0.3 mmol/l +/- 0.8 (SD). Approximately one-third of the variability in the difference between the two methods was explained by the variables, Reflotron machine used and time (R2 = 54%, adjusted R2 = 34%). We conclude that the Reflotron is not suitable for accurate assessment of the modest changes in cholesterol which occur in individual patients during dietary intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Curzio
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farish
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Howie
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D002196:Capillaries; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol