SCIENCE / MEDICINE : Value of Cholesterol Tests Cited

Public cholesterol screening tests apparently encourage many people to seek advice from their doctors and change their diets to cut their risk for heart disease, researchers say.

A recent study found that about 40% of people who had high cholesterol levels on public screening tests went to a doctor to follow up on the results and more than 75% reported changing their diets.

Dr. Antonio Gotto of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston said his team’s study of more than 13,000 people may help rebut recent criticism about the value and safety of wide-scale cholesterol screening.

In a study published recently in the American Journal of Cardiology, Gotto and his colleagues looked at the effectiveness of cholesterol screening at a variety of sites--shopping malls, workplaces, health care centers, a supermarket, a blood bank and a school.