Variation in local policies and guidelines for cholesterol management: national survey
BMJ 1996; 313 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.313.7069.1368 (Published 30 November 1996) Cite this as: BMJ 1996;313:1368
- Rosalind Raine, senior registrara,
- Allison Streetly, senior lecturerb,
- Alan Maryon Davis, senior lecturerb
- a Directorate of Public Health and Health Policy, Lambeth, Southwark, and Lewisham Health Authority, London SE1 7NT
- b Department of Public Health Medicine, UMDS, St Thomas's Hospital, London SE1 7EH
- Accepted 6 September 1996
Raised serum cholesterol concentrations are known to be an important risk factor for coronary heart disease. In 1993 an authoritative systematic review of effective cholesterol management was disseminated to health authorities and boards throughout the United Kingdom.1 The review recommended that population cholesterol screening should be discouraged and cholesterol lowering treatment targeted at those patients at highest overall risk of coronary heart disease according to a range of risk factors. In 1994 we conducted a national survey to assess variations in local cholesterol management policies and clinical guidelines and the extent to which they reflected the recommendations.
Methods and results
A questionnaire was sent to the director of public health (or chief administrative medical officer) of all 151 health authorities or boards in the United Kingdom. Respondents were also asked to …