March 7, 2005 in Nation/World

Skin test may help detect heart disease

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ORLANDO, Fla. – A quick, inexpensive test that measures cholesterol in the skin without the need for drawing blood can detect heart disease in middle-age people, according to a study presented Sunday by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.

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 usually are not done by family doctors, said co-author James Stein of University of Wisconsin Health Preventive Cardiology.

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 of the hand.

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 will change 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.

The test costs about $25.

The study results were presented Sunday at the American College of Cardiology conference in Orlando.

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