A new method of calculating the level of “bad cholesterol” in the blood was born. It appears to be more precise than the old method and it allows you to work on blood samples from people who have not fasted before the examination.
A study, published on January 2 in Circulationsuggests that the routine fasting routinely requested for cholesterol testing could be avoided in most people, making such screening more convenient.
The new method of calculating bad cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol was developed by Seth Martin and his colleagues at John Hopkins Hospital in 2013.
Other American and foreign researchers have confirmed its greater accuracy in a series of more than one million five hundred thousand participants, and the new method was adopted by at least one major national diagnostic company in the United States this year.
More precise and more practical
Although the new method of calculating LDL-cholesterol is a bit more complex, it can be performed using information already collected in the blood sample to give a more accurate result.
Since fasting is no longer necessary with this method which is also more precise, it becomes more convenient for patients as they can have their cholesterol tested at any time and do not need to come back for a second appointment. if they have eaten.
”Our study helps clinicians and patients make better decisions because they are armed with more accurate test results., welcomes the author. Those still using the Friedewald Method need to be more careful in the interpretation, but in the meantime they can use our smartphone app until their lab converts. “
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