|
Study Demonstrates Superiority of the Oxidized
LDL/HDL Ratio Test In
Identifying Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
Brooklyn, NY – Shiel Medical Laboratory
is the only clinical laboratory worldwide to offer the Oxidized
LDL/HDL Ratio Test. It is the only blood test available that measures
atherosclerotic disease activity. The Oxidized LDL/HDL Ratio Test
has been shown to be the most superior blood lipid test for discriminating
between apparently healthy men and women (control subjects; n =
431), without clinical evidence of coronary artery disease, and
coronary artery disease patients (n = 490), according to a recent
well-documented study by Doctors Nina Johnston, Tomas Jernberg,
Bo Lagerqvist, Agneta Siegbahn, and Lars Wallentin , University
Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. This important new study, “Improved
Identification of Patients with Coronary Artery Disease by the Use
of New Lipid and Lipoprotein Biomarkers,” was published in
the American Journal of Cardiology in the March 2006 issue.
More recently, a study was published in JAMA in May of
2008, “Association Between Circulating Oxidized Low-Density
Lipoprotein and Incidence of the Metabolic Syndrome – Paul
Holvoet; Duk-Hee Lee; Michael Steffes; et al.
JAMA Abstract Link - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/299/19/2287)
In the July 9, 2008 NY Times article “Atherosclerosis
In-Depth Report” the following excerpt identifies the role
of oxidation in the atherosclerotic disease process;
“NY TIMES EXCERPT - Oxidation. The damaging process
called oxidation is an important trigger in the atherosclerosis
story. Oxidation is a chemical process in the body caused
by the release of unstable particles known as oxygen-free radicals.
It is one of the normal processes in the body, but under certain
conditions these free radicals are overproduced. In excess amounts,
they can be very dangerous, causing damaging inflammation and even
affecting genetic material in cells. In heart disease, free
radicals are released in artery linings and oxidize low-density
lipoproteins (LDL). The oxidized LDL is the basis for cholesterol
build-up on the artery walls and damage leading to heart disease.”
Reprints of any of the 3 referenced articles above will
be sent upon request.
The Oxidized LDL/HDL Ratio Test can identify more patients
with coronary artery disease than any other currently available
blood lipid biomarker test, particularly, total cholesterol, triglycerides,
LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol
ratio test, and the Lp-PLA2 (DiaDexus’s PLAC Test).
The Oxidized LDL/HDL Ratio Test is likely to become the key biomarker
for the diagnosis and therapeutic management of patients with accelerated
atherosclerosis (as found in diabetes, renal disease, and lupus)
and subclinical coronary artery disease. The results of the study
of Johnston and her colleagues further indicate that the Oxidized
LDL/HDL Ratio Test could indeed replace and succeed the LDL-cholesterol
test, which is the most widely used blood lipid test in clinical
practice today.
The role of the Oxidized LDL/HDL Ratio Test in the pathophysiology
of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease should be easy to
comprehend. It is now believed that LDL is the “bad lipoprotein”
and HDL is the “good lipoprotein.” However, Oxidized
LDL now appears to be the “worst lipoprotein”,
as LDL must first be converted to Oxidized LDL in order for LDL
to participate and be directly involved in the atherosclerotic disease
process. Thus, the ratio of Oxidized LDL to HDL is essentially the
ratio of the “worst lipoprotein” to the “good
lipoprotein.”
It is noteworthy that Oxidized LDL is not found in normal coronary
arteries; Oxidized LDL is only found in atherosclerotic
plaques in diseased coronary arteries. Oxidized LDL is
a plaque-specific protein. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that
Oxidized LDL is directly involved in the conversion of monocytes/macrophages
into cholesterol-laden foam cells, and that these foam cells become
incorporated into the plaque. The yellowish appearance of plaques
results from the deposition of cholesterol. Clearly, Oxidized LDL
is involved in the deposition of cholesterol into the atherosclerotic
plaques, and HDL is involved in the removal of cholesterol from
the plaques. Thus, the Oxidized LDL/HDL Ratio Test is an indicator
of the balance between the deposition and the removal of cholesterol
in the atherosclerotic plaques. High Oxidized LDL/HDL Ratio Test
results are ominous, since they are usually associated with accelerated
atherosclerosis and unstable coronary artery disease, which can
lead to a heart attack. Low Oxidized LDL/HDL Ratio Test results,
on the other hand, are favorable, since they are usually associated
with health and longevity
Contact: Tod Schild, Senior Vice President
Phone: 1-800-553-0873, Ext. 1167
Email: ts@shiel.com
|
