What is the suggested frequency of lipid testing for primary prevention?
Perera et al. (2015) found that the true variation from testing exceeds the random variation from repeated testing (signal-to-noise ratio exceeds 1.0) when testing is spaced by 9-10 years. Additionally, cholesterol is a relatively minor contributor to CV risk scores compared to other patient characteristics, which further supports longer testing intervals. Most of the change in CV risk over time is because of the development or change in risk factors (e.g., DM, blood pressure, age) rather than changes in lipid levels. Individuals who progressed to a higher CVD category over a 10-year timeframe lacked a significant change in their cholesterol.