Background
: Hypercholesterolemia is the one of the major risk factors of coronary heart disease, and is increasing due to the change of diet habits in Korea. In the United States of America, National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommends total serum cholesterol, if possible with HDL-cholesterol, as screening test, and dietary therapy and physical activity as treatment before starting lipid lowering drug therapy. In our study we assessed the effects of brief diet education by doctors on blood total cholesterol.

Methods : We conducted a case-control study for the patients who's serum total cholesterol level were 200-300mg/dL, during routine health examination at an university hospital between April to July 1994. They were divided into two groups by inclusion orders. We educated case groups for dietary therapy, and simply noticed high blood cholesterol levels for control groups. After 1 month We re-checked total serum cholesterol levels. Three residents of family medicine were dedicated to the patient education using the patient education materials which were produced by the department of family medicine of an university hospital.

Results : 85 patients, 42 case group and 43 control group, were followed for 1 month There was no difference between two groups for age, sex, BMI, education, smoking and alcohol habits. Baseline cholesterol levels of control and case groups were 231.1±18.5mg/dL and 239.9±24.3mg/dL for case group. The dicreases were 7.4±23.0mg/dL (P<0.05), 29.6±20.1mg/dL (P<0.0001) Seperately which were stastitically significant. but, there was significant difference between two groups by ANCOVA test. (P=0.0001)

Conclusion : In our study brief diet education by doctors was more effective in blood cholesterol reduction than simple notice of high blood cholesterol level.