[Changes in serum cholesterol level in blood donors over a 2-year period].

Serum cholesterol levels were measured in 280 blood donors between November 1988 and May 1989 and again between February and April 1991. In 84 of these persons the cholesterol level was also measured between November 1989 and January 1990. The 122 females showed a 9.6% reduction in mean serum cholesterol from 5.8 mmol/l in the first sample to 5.2 mmol/l in the final sample. The 158 males showed a 7.4% reduction from 5.7 to 5.3 mmol/l. Females with initial values greater than 6 mmol/l showed an average reduction in serum cholesterol of 15.2%. For males with initial values greater than 6 the reduction was 14.0%. There was no difference in reduction between those whose cholesterol was measured at the beginning and the end of the study and those whose cholesterol was also controlled during the course of the study. Our study shows that, in the case of blood donors, a programme involving measuring serum cholesterol and distributing written information can lead to a substantial reduction in serum cholesterol.