Differences in lipid and lipoprotein concentrations of capillary and venous blood samples.

The concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins measured in capillary blood serum taken from young adults were significantly lower than in venous blood, although they correlated satisfactorily. These differences may reflect differences in the morphological and hemodynamic conditions existing either in large veins or in the peripheral circulatory system. It was concluded that venous and capillary blood serum cannot be used interchangeably for these estimations.