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Cholesterol
Heart Disease Linked to Skin Sterol
A quick, inexpensive test that measures cholesterol in the skin can detect heart disease in middle-aged people, according to a study at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Because the test can be done in three minutes as part of a doctor's office visit, it could serve as an alternative to a more costly heart scan or stress test, exams that are not usually done by family doctors. Unlike a traditional cholesterol test, which requires a blood sample and usually an overnight fast, the Prevu Skin Sterol Test measures cholesterol in the palm.
It is done by placing a thin foam pad on the skin and dropping a liquid enzyme and another substance into holes in the pad. The liquid changes color depending on the amount of sterol, a type of cholesterol, in the skin. A hand-held color reader is used to measure the type of blue, which, in turn, correlates with the amount of cholesterol in the skin.
In a study presented at the annual Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, on October 25, physicians gave the results from 300 patients with proven coronary artery disease, 90 percent of whom were on statin medication. They found that skin sterol levels were elevated in high-risk patients, and there was a positive correlation between skin sterol levels and chest pain and diabetes.
These findings so far seem limited to patients with established CAD who are taking cholesterol-lowering medications. Previous studies have shown there is no correlation between skin sterol levels and blood cholesterol levels in patients who are not taking cholesterol-lowering medications.
However, there is an established link between skin sterol levels and history of heart attacks, as well a relationship between skin sterol and various cardiovascular risk factors. For patients with a previous history of heart disease, including CAD, and who are on statin medications, the new test might provide physicians with a non-invasive tool to classify them based on risk levels.
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