About 30",, of patients seen in our lipid clinic during 1976 had raised blood pressure, and many patients attending the hypertension clinic have hyperlipidaemia. This apparent association between hypertension and hyperlipidaemia could have arisen because hypertensives tend to have lipid concentrations measured more frequently than people with no risk factors for vascular disease, or might have ...

This series of occasional articles provides an update on the best use of key diagnostic tests in the initial investigation of common or important clinical presentations. The series advisers are Steve Atkin, professor of medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar; and Eric Kilpatrick, honorary professor, department of clinical biochemistry, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull York Medical School. T...