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This Paper reports the results of an experiment of measuring willingness to pay (WTP) for lipid lowering. WTP is derived from a theoretical model of health risk reductions, using a health production function approach. A survey of about 700 persons randomized into a lipid lowering trial in Sweden is used to estimate WTP. The willingness to give up time (WTGT) to take part in a lipid lowering programme is also measured in the survey, to assess its relationship to WTP. The response rates on the WTP and WTGT qusetions are 94% and 96%, respectively, and the patients are on average perpared to pay about Skr 350 per month or devote about 5 h of leisure time per week to get normal lipid levels. The Correlation of WTP and WTGT is 0.45 and highly significant. The results of regression of WTP and WTGT are in accordance with the theoretical predictions with a higher valuation for a greater perceived difference in health status with and without treatment. The income elasticity is also positive as expected.

The ratio between assimilation of simultaneously ingested 14C-triolein and 3H-oleic acid was investigated as a test of pancreatic digestive function in 48 consecutive patients suspected of malassimilation. Faecal excretion of 14C-triolein and 3H-oleic acid was measured by means of a combustion/liquid scintillation counting technique. Compared with the patients in whom the clinical investigation showed normal lipid assimilation (no. = 31) the assimilation of both 14C-triolein and 3H-oleic acid was significantly reduced in the patients with malabsorption (no. = 6) and maldigestion (no. = 11). However, in all except one patient with maldigestion the assimilation of 14C-triolein was more reduced than that of 3H-oleic acid, whereas there was no difference in 14C-triolein and 3H-oleic acid assimilation in the patients with malabsorption and normal lipid assimilation. Measurement of the postprandial serum radioactivities of 14C and 3H, like the faecal measurements, indicated more severely reduced assimilation of 14C-triolein than of 3H-oleic acid in the patients with maldigestion than in the other patient groups. In fact, the 2-h postprandial 3H/14C ratio at a level of 1.3 correctly classified digestive function in 47 of the 48 patients.