For a group of 28 patients with PAOD (mean age, SD 63.7 +/- 10.2 years) and 16 healthy subjects (61.7 +/- 11.9 years) we examined several lipid analytes in femoral arterial and venous blood. Compared with healthy controls, PAOD patients showed significantly lower HDL cholesterol levels (p less than 0.01) and significantly higher levels of triglycerides (p less than 0.01). In addition, a significant negative A-V difference in triglycerides (p less than 0.05) and a significant inverse association between arterial HDL cholesterol and A-V difference in triglycerides (r = -0.48; p less than 0.01) were present. Predominantly the last two unexpected findings are discussed in this study.