Surveillance of routine practice for screening and monitoring of dyslipidaemia. A population based study in a large geographical area.
BACKGROUND
The aim was to develop a method for continuous monitoring of routine practice of screening and monitoring of dyslipidaemia, and to present the present status of cholesterol screening and monitoring in a large well-defined geographic area in Denmark.


METHODS
Population based register survey, based on the electronic laboratory information system (LIS) as primary data source. All lipid measurements from both hospitals and primary health care, were included for a five-year period (1995.8.1.-2000.7.31.), and civil registration number was used to separate measurements from subjects living in an area comprising 248,475 adult inhabitants.


RESULTS
An increasing number of subjects was screened every year, and during the five-year period approximately 25% of the total population older than 16 years were screened for dyslipidaemia (61,102), and half the subjects between 60 and 69 years were screened. The proportion of measurements prescribed from general practice increased significantly from 62.2% to 66.8%. The fraction of laboratory request forms including LDL-cholesterol increased from 39.8% to 58.5%. The number of subjects monitored for dyslipidaemia, by three plasma cholesterol measurements during 1 1/2 years increased by 71%.


CONCLUSIONS
The method adequately identified subjects monitored for dyslipidaemia, and provided important information on routine practice for screening and monitoring of dyslipidaemia.
Kanstrup
Helle
H
Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Aarhus Sygehus, Aarhus University Hospital. H.Kanstrup@dadlnet.dk
Lassen
Jens Flensted
JF
Heickendorff
Lene
L
Lauritzen
Torsten
T
Larsen
Mogens Lytken
ML
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003718:Denmark; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008055:Lipids