For each patient, blood samples were collected at admission to the ICU to assess total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, leukocyte count, platelets, hematocrits, protein, creatinine and serum lactate.
A fasting blood sample (~3 ml) is retrieved from children to assess total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, trinsulinide, insulin, and glucose levels.
A cholesterol oxidase assay was used to assess total cholesterol, a cholesterol esterase assay was used to assess HDL cholesterol, and a glycerol kinase assay was used to assess triglycerides.
We assessed total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, glucose, and insulin levels as reported elsewhere (13).
During hospitalization we also assessed: total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoproteins (HDL) and triglycerides (TG) - enzymatic kits by Abbott (Lake County, USA). LDL concentration was calculated according to the Friedewald formula.
A nationally accredited pathology laboratory collected fasting blood samples and assessed: total cholesterol including high density (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions, triglycerides, insulin, glucose and alanine aminotransferase (ALT).
We compared the main characteristics between the total 4,202 cohort members included in our study and the two sub-samples one included 3,741 blood sub-samples oneessincludedcholesterol values and another included 2,3,741lood samples for assessing total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol values, and no differences were found among them (data not shown).
The simple, do-it-yourself home cholesterol tests measure total cholesterol.
The lack of a relationship between A1C and HDL cholesterol could be due to opposite effects of glycemia on different HDL subclasses, which cannot be detected by simply assessing total HDL cholesterol (24).
The CVD risk factors assessed were lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, high- and low-density lipoproteins), resting blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), no exercise in typical week, and cigarette smoking.
HDL-cholesterol concentration was assessed by the total cholesterol kit after precipitation of low-density and very low-density lipoproteins by "HDL precipitating reagent CD0400CH" (Chema Diagnostica, Jesi, Italy).
