A simple, painless test to measure cholesterol in the skin may offer a new, easy way to determine a person's risk of developing heart disease, according to researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation who reported on the new test at the AHA meeting in November.

The test involves placing a few drops of fluid in the palm of the hand and measuring the color change after 3 minutes with a special meter. The test fluid is then washed off with water.

The people involved in the evaluation of the new test subsequently underwent coronary catheterization, a test that measures blockages in the blood vessels. Those with the highest levels of skin cholesterol also had the greatest number of diseased arteries. The researchers reported that patients with the highest skin cholesterol levels had up to a 37% greater risk of coronary disease than those with the lowest levels.

The new test won't be available anytime soon, however. Further research will be conducted to validate the results. The technology will probably be refined for use in doctor’s offices initially and may ultimately be incorporated into a home testing kit.