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Consumers were warned Monday that some cholesterol screenings in public places, such as shopping malls and mobile operations, are inaccurate and could be hazardous.
Citing unsanitary conditions, unqualified testers and inaccurately calibrated equipment, Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Richard P. Kusserow warned that many "fly-by-night (screening) outfits are crossing the line from shoddy to criminal. It's like a modern medical carnival.
"Given today's concern for the spread of AIDS and hepatitis, these findings are particularly disturbing," he told the House subcommittee on regulation, business opportunities and energy.
Currently, 16 states regulate public cholesterol screening, but California is not among them.
Rep. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chairman of the subcommittee, advocated more regulation of the testing, saying that unregulated screening is like "playing Russian roulette with safety."
Inaccurate readings could cause people to "be lulled into a false sense of security. They may not see a doctor, they may not change their diets and they may not exercise," he said.
High blood-cholesterol levels are linked...